An independent assessment by the international tourism advisory expert, Martin Jansen van Vuuren, a partner at Futureneer Advisors, has quantified the significant economic benefits to host countries of the influential Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF).

He reveals that when AHIF returns to Addis Ababa at the end of September, it could bring over one and a half million dollars in direct benefit to the local economy, an additional two million dollars in indirect benefit and over a quarter a million in tax to the Ethiopian host government if spending at the 2019 event is a mere 10% more than when it was held in the city in 2014.

This assessment is based on recent research of attendees at AHIF and a study on the economic impact of previous editions of the conference.

Looking back over the history of AHIF since the first conference in Casablanca in 2011, the event has made a total impact on the local host economies of $21.24 million of which $8.64 million is direct and $12.6 is indirect. In doing so, it has helped to create or sustain over 6,000 jobs and generate $1.4m in tax to the governments of the host countries.

AHIF is the premier hotel investment conference in Africa, attracting many prominent international hotel owners, investors, financiers, management companies and their advisers.

The 2019 edition will take place from 23 to 25 September at Sheraton Hotel Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.