The 7th edition of the Investment and Tourism Business Forum for Africa (INVESTOUR), to be held on 21 January 2016, will bring new business and investment projects from Africa to the Spanish Tourism Fair, FITUR. Organized by the World Tourism Organization [UNWTO], Casa Africa and FITUR, INVESTOUR is a platform to promote tourism development in Africa, one of the fastest growing tourism regions in the world.
The event is structured around two sessions: a morning session dedicated to debating the challenges of investing in Africa and the trends shaping tourism in the region and an afternoon business-to-business (B2B) session. This year’s edition of INVESTOUR will focus on financing and investing in tourism-related projects, technological developments in the hospitality sector, eco-tourism in national parks and protected areas, the promotion of tourism destinations and cultural tourism.
“Tourism has demonstrated an ability to be an engine for sustainable development and growth in Africa. INVESTOUR is a unique platform to discuss and create synergies within the private sector to invest and explore new business opportunities in Africa and take full advantage of the recent expansion of the sector in the region” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.
“The opportunities that the African continent offers are immense. By facilitating business interactions and channeling investment interests, INVESTOUR provides a necessary mechanism to maximize these opportunities while being an excellent example of cooperation between the private and public sectors,” said the Executive Director of Casa Africa, Luis Padrón.
Since its first edition in 2009, INVESTOUR has brought together over 1,200 participants from 32 African countries and more than 800 projects. The 2015 edition of INVESTOUR counted with over 300 participants, including 15 African Ministers of Tourism, a total of 146 projects and over 40 B2B meetings.