Tourism
From The Report: Cote d'Ivoire 2015
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After years of neglect due to political instability, the tourism industry in Côte d’Ivoire is expected to enjoy a steady recovery as government efforts lead the rejuvenation of the country’s hotel, transport and national attractions infrastructure. Numerous transport and hotel projects currently under way are expected to boost national capacity and help connect travellers to attractions throughout the country. Meanwhile, the introduction of the new tourism code in 2015 will strengthen the position of formal travel agencies and reduce the operations of informal entities. In terms of boosting visitor arrivals, the significant reduction in the price for tourist visas is likely to have a positive effect, as is the shift to the online visa application system.

This chapter contains an interview with Wolfgang M Neumann, President and CEO, the Rezidor Hotel Group.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

On the horizon: Numerous attractions look set to draw new arrivals and revenues
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After years of neglect due to political instability, the tourism industry in Côte d’Ivoire is expected to enjoy a steady recovery as government efforts lead the rejuvenation process for the country’s hotel, transport and national attractions infrastructure. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), travel and tourism directly contributed around 2.4% of GDP in 2013, or CFA317.8bn (€476.7m). The WTTC forecast this figure to rise by 8.8% for 2014 and by a further 5% annually through…

Analysis

Room and boards: Projects to build hotel and conference facilities take shape
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Supported by state efforts to expand tourism to every region, Côte d’Ivoire’s hotel infrastructure once extended throughout its territory, reaching 11,374 beds and 7786 rooms in 1997. During the civil war, however, the national hotel capacity dwindled with the destruction of many tourist buildings. After the conflict ended, estimates varied widely, ranging from 3000 beds to 10,000. Today, most hotels are located in Abidjan, and in 2013 an estimated 2000-3000 beds were available from hotels managed…

Interview

Wolfgang Neumann, President and CEO, the Rezidor Hotel Group: Interview
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Interview:Wolfgang Neumann How has demand for higher-end hotels changed in sub-Saharan Africa? WOLFGANG NEUMANN: The entire African continent is considered one of the fastest growing continents thanks to its economic fundamentals, abundance of natural resources, favourable demographics and improving infrastructure development. As the World Bank said, “Africa is poised for a growth take-off, much as India was 20 years ago and China was 30 years ago.” When it comes to hotels, most regions…