Lomé - Togo's five-star Radisson Blu Hotel 2 Février has opened and will host the forthcoming Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) in Lomé on June 21-22.
The hotel is the fruit of a private-public partnership between the hotel developer Groupe Kalyan, the management company Carlson Rezidor and the government of Togo. It took 18 months to develop and is regarded as the kind of project encouraged by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).
The success in developing the hotel so quickly will even form the basis of a case-study discussion at AHIF.
Matthew Weihs, managing director of Bench Events which organises AHIF, said: "This is a great example of how to get things done in the hotel sector and another good reason why people can be optimistic about investing in Africa. We welcome this hotel opening and of course its timing will provide a great focus for one of our many discussions at AHIF."
The new hotel fulfils many of the criteria set down by UNWTO which promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development and environmental sustainability.
Togo's Minister of Commerce, Industry, Private Sector and Tourism Bernadette Essossimna Legzim-Balouki said: “This new luxury hotel will give a much-needed boost to our country’s tourism industry which is already going from strength to strength.”
Ashok Gupta, managing director & CEO of Kalyan Hospitality Development Togo added that the landmark hotel development marks a new era for Togo.