By Irene Gaitirira
Published February 3, 2016

Jonathan Worsley, Chairman, Bench Events, organisers of Africa Hotel Investment Forum, AHIF A meeting bringing together African airlines, airports, hotel and hospitality investors shall be launched in Rwanda in October 2016.

The maiden AviaDev Africa (October 4, 2016) shall run alongside annual Africa Hotel Investment Forum, AHIF (October 5-6, 2016); AHIF provides government and industry players with the opportunity to plan travel across the continent.

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Representatives of leading airlines, airports, hotels and governments shall be expected to explore the link between aviation and hotel investment and discuss new airline routes during the AviaDev gathering.

Workshops on the rise of the ‘airport city’ in Africa as well as the environmental factors needed to help realise Africa’s full potential.

Belise Kariza, Chief Tourism Officer at the Rwanda Development BoardJonathan Worsley, Chairman of Bench Events, which organises AHIF, says, “AviaDev Africa will be a valuable opportunity for leading executives from aviation and hotel development to have some serious and fruitful discussions on how to develop the future connectivity of the continent.”

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Saying Africa is different from Asia, Europe or the States “because the hotels are really not in place”, Mario Fulgoni, CEO of Air Djibouti, says airlines and hotel investors have to work together in coming up with the solution: “Build a coordinated investment programme so we can develop the two things side-by-side.”

“We want to showcase Rwanda as a key destination to do business,” says Belise Kariza, Chief Tourism Officer at the Rwanda Development Board. “The AHIF conference is a vital part of that; and the addition of a forum focused on aviation developments, AviaDev, provides an important platform for the aviation and hotel sectors to discuss future development projects and forge new relationships.”

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AviaDev brings together African airlines, airports, hotel and hospitality investors Rwanda is one of the 10 fastest growing passenger markets over the next 20 years; seven of the 10 countries are in Africa, according to the International Air Travel Association (IATA).