CHICAGO—Hyatt Hotels & Resorts expects to double the number of Hyatt hotels in Africa, with six new hotels expected to open by 2020. The developments are expected to see the Hyatt brand enter four new countries on the African continent and are expected to create approximately 2,100 new jobs once open, according to the company.
East Africa is one of Hyatt’s primary focus areas in the near term, with the region benefiting from continued government investment in infrastructure, an expanding middle class and a growing international recognition of the region’s stability, all contributing to an 11% growth in Sub-Saharan African tourism in the past year alone. According to the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, the first half of 2017 saw a 14% increase in international arrivals in East Africa over the same period in 2016, with intra-Africa travel up nearly 13% for the same period.
“The development opportunities for Hyatt in Africa are significant, and we see enormous potential in the region. This expansion reinforces our commitment to developing our pipeline in Africa,” said Peter Penev, VP, acquisitions and development for Hyatt. “With the introduction of a Pan-African, visa-free passport next year alongside the continued improvement in the connectivity and growth of the region’s airlines, we expect tourist and business travel will only continue to increase. We look forward to working with our local developers and partners to further deliver on our ambitious plan to help grow the hotel industry in East Africa.”
Of Hyatt’s expected six new hotels, four are market entries: Hyatt Regency Algiers Airport, Algeria (late 2018); Hyatt Regency Douala, Cameroon (late 2020); Hyatt Regency Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (summer 2018) and Hyatt Centric Dakar, Senegal (summer 2018). In its established markets, Hyatt is expanding its footprint with Park Hyatt Marrakech, Morocco (early 2019) and Hyatt Regency Arusha, Tanzania (early 2019), each becoming the third Hyatt-branded hotel in each country, respectively. As part of a long-term plan to expand in Sub-Saharan Africa, Hyatt will continue to look for further opportunities across countries like Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
Hyatt-branded hotels currently open across Africa include Hyatt Regency Johannesburg, South Africa; Hyatt Regency Dar es Salaam, The Kilimanjaro, Tanzania; Hyatt Regency Casablanca, Morocco; Hyatt Regency Sharm El Sheikh Resort, Egypt; Park Hyatt Zanzibar, Tanzania; and Hyatt Place Taghazout Bay, Morocco.