![[Angola]](https://assets.thenewhumanitarian.org/s3fs-public/styles/responsive_large_2x/public/images/20046156.jpg.webp?itok=d-NQmnwp "Violence is increasing in Luanda")
Four years of peace and an oil-generated economic boom in Angola have done little to mask the scars of its war-torn past, but authorities have pinned new hopes on reinventing the country as a holiday destination.
Angola's tourism minister Eduardo Chingunji told IRIN he believed the tourism sector would gain in importance as the country diversified its economy beyond oil to create sustainable development.
"After almost a year of talking, telling people, 'Tourism is good, it can bring in money into Angola', now suddenly things are happening - people aren't just talking about it," he said. "I believe that within three years, people will really start looking at Angola as a tourist destination."
A host of tourism projects is already afoot, including hotels, a game park, safari and fishing lodges, and casinos. The government is keen to get investors - local and foreign - on board to help develop the industry.
Despite its natural beauty - 1,600km of Atlantic coastline, varied landscapes and a rich cultural heritage - there is no denying the mammoth task that lies ahead to get foreigners to pick Angola over neighbouring South Africa or Namibia as the spot to spend their holidays.
The 27-year civil war took its toll on the people, the infrastructure and the tourism industry, which was a significant cash earner when Angola was under Portuguese rule. About half the southwest African country has access to clean drinking water and less than that to sanitation; there are only six telephone lines for every 1,000 Angolans.
Poverty is widespread in the capital, Luanda, and the city is overcrowded, dirty and smelly. In the countryside many areas have not been cleared of landmines, there are few hotels and guesthouses, electricity supply is irregular, the communication network functions erratically, and poverty is everywhere. Around 38 percent of the country's population is undernourished and life expectancy is about 40 years.
However, Chingunji said international arrivals had increased by almost 80 percent since the end of the war in April 2002, taking the figure to over 204,000 annually, but he admitted that most of these were entrepreneurs.
"When we talk about tourists in Angola today, these are mostly business tourists who are coming to Angola to look at the investment opportunities. We are not at the point where we can talk of traditional tourists - we need to resolve the problems of infrastructure to accommodate them," Chingunji said.
"We can only have tourism as an activity if we have a constant and good quality supply of water, electricity and communications, as well as good roads and a solid health structure. No one would go to a place where one is likely to get seriously ill or could risk losing their life," he added.
Even business tourists coming into the country faced a raft of problems, Chingunji said, citing the lack of accommodation as one of the main stumbling blocks. Hotels in the capital have an average of 97 percent occupancy rate all year round and an extra 3,000 to 3,500 rooms were required to meet current demand.
Other issues included expensive and infrequent flights to the country and difficulties in traveling around Angola, but one of the most common complaints from foreigners was the cumbersome bureaucratic process of applying for a visa.
Chingunji said the government was trying to make it easier for bona fide holidaymakers to enter Angola, and the tourism ministry favoured setting visa requirements according to groupings of nationals from particular countries.
"Some people say, 'We are tourists - how come we need to have a letter of invitation from Angola?'. We say, 'Obviously, right now it's important we know who is coming in and out, because we are trying to get our act together and get back into normal society'," he said. "Obviously this will have to change. Eventually people will be able to come to Angola on a 30-day visa as a tourist."
A budding tourism industry would require trained personnel and quality services. In recent weeks, short-term hotel management and tourism courses were held across the country, and there are plans to establish tourism schools in five provinces to support the sector.
Chingunji said he believed the industry had a bright future. "We are really hopeful that with the work we're doing we can have a different Angola, especially in our [tourism] sector," he said. "Our ambition is to use the country's ... [physical, social and cultural assets] so that the government doesn't have to be dependent on oil and diamonds."
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Angola's tourism minister Eduardo Chingunji told IRIN he believed the tourism sector would gain in importance as the country diversified its economy beyond oil to create sustainable development.
"After almost a year of talking, telling people, 'Tourism is good, it can bring in money into Angola', now suddenly things are happening - people aren't just talking about it," he said. "I believe that within three years, people will really start looking at Angola as a tourist destination."
A host of tourism projects is already afoot, including hotels, a game park, safari and fishing lodges, and casinos. The government is keen to get investors - local and foreign - on board to help develop the industry.
Despite its natural beauty - 1,600km of Atlantic coastline, varied landscapes and a rich cultural heritage - there is no denying the mammoth task that lies ahead to get foreigners to pick Angola over neighbouring South Africa or Namibia as the spot to spend their holidays.
The 27-year civil war took its toll on the people, the infrastructure and the tourism industry, which was a significant cash earner when Angola was under Portuguese rule. About half the southwest African country has access to clean drinking water and less than that to sanitation; there are only six telephone lines for every 1,000 Angolans.
Poverty is widespread in the capital, Luanda, and the city is overcrowded, dirty and smelly. In the countryside many areas have not been cleared of landmines, there are few hotels and guesthouses, electricity supply is irregular, the communication network functions erratically, and poverty is everywhere. Around 38 percent of the country's population is undernourished and life expectancy is about 40 years.
However, Chingunji said international arrivals had increased by almost 80 percent since the end of the war in April 2002, taking the figure to over 204,000 annually, but he admitted that most of these were entrepreneurs.
"When we talk about tourists in Angola today, these are mostly business tourists who are coming to Angola to look at the investment opportunities. We are not at the point where we can talk of traditional tourists - we need to resolve the problems of infrastructure to accommodate them," Chingunji said.
"We can only have tourism as an activity if we have a constant and good quality supply of water, electricity and communications, as well as good roads and a solid health structure. No one would go to a place where one is likely to get seriously ill or could risk losing their life," he added.
Even business tourists coming into the country faced a raft of problems, Chingunji said, citing the lack of accommodation as one of the main stumbling blocks. Hotels in the capital have an average of 97 percent occupancy rate all year round and an extra 3,000 to 3,500 rooms were required to meet current demand.
Other issues included expensive and infrequent flights to the country and difficulties in traveling around Angola, but one of the most common complaints from foreigners was the cumbersome bureaucratic process of applying for a visa.
Chingunji said the government was trying to make it easier for bona fide holidaymakers to enter Angola, and the tourism ministry favoured setting visa requirements according to groupings of nationals from particular countries.
"Some people say, 'We are tourists - how come we need to have a letter of invitation from Angola?'. We say, 'Obviously, right now it's important we know who is coming in and out, because we are trying to get our act together and get back into normal society'," he said. "Obviously this will have to change. Eventually people will be able to come to Angola on a 30-day visa as a tourist."
A budding tourism industry would require trained personnel and quality services. In recent weeks, short-term hotel management and tourism courses were held across the country, and there are plans to establish tourism schools in five provinces to support the sector.
Chingunji said he believed the industry had a bright future. "We are really hopeful that with the work we're doing we can have a different Angola, especially in our [tourism] sector," he said. "Our ambition is to use the country's ... [physical, social and cultural assets] so that the government doesn't have to be dependent on oil and diamonds."
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This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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