The Radisson Hotel Group intends to expand its already impressive footprint in Africa. The Group has ambitious goals to reach 150 hotels and 25,000 rooms across the continent within the next five years, making Africa a crucial growth region.
Currently, Radisson Hotel Group operates and is developing almost 100 hotels and 16,000 rooms in Africa. In the previous two years alone, the Group has opened more than 16 hotels in the region and acquired more than 25 new properties, adding over 4,800 rooms to its portfolio.
Earlier this year, Radisson Hotel Group announced that it had exceeded its half-year growth objective in Africa with exciting new openings and market entries in business and leisure destinations. This puts the Group on track to achieve its aim of adding 150 hotels to the continent within the next five years, making it one of the hotel firms with the fastest annual growth in Africa.
Elie Younes, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Development Officer, Radisson Hotel Hotel Group, commented on the Group’s unprecedented growth and expansion across the continent, stating, “The last two years have been a time of accelerated growth for the Radisson Hotel Group reaching record milestones regionally and globally. Our balanced development strategy along with our tailored approach and responsiveness, enable us to stay relevant to our owners. Our rate of materialisation and openings is a testimony to the quality of our pipeline but also translates our conversion strategy in repositioning existing hotels under one of our Radisson Hotel Group brands. 2023 is already anticipated to remain positive with nine hotel openings during the year, which will only reinforce our Group’s presence across the region.”
Because of the hotel groups reputation as a market leader across the continent, they are in a prime position to discuss the tremendous prospects in the African hotel industry. As a Group, Radisson have made it a point to consolidate its market share in major focal regions as well as grow into new territories, further solidifying its position as Africa’s most geographically diverse hotel firm, said Ramsay Rankoussi, Vice President Development for the Group in Africa.
Key markets for the Group’s Africa expansion strategy are Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, Cameroon, Senegal, and Ivory Coast, with an equal emphasis on Francophone and Anglophone nations.
Among the highlights of 2022 thus far are the introduction into numerous important new African markets. With the addition of three properties to its portfolio, Radisson Hotel Group became the largest international operator on the island of Madagascar. The first Radisson-branded hotel in East Africa, Radisson Hotel Addis Ababa Bole Airport, was signed in 2022, and the Radisson Individuals brand was introduced to the continent with the opening of two new properties: Number One Oxford Street Hotel & Suites in Ghana and Marina Resort Port Ghalib in Marsa Alam, Egypt. Radisson Blu, the fastest-growing hotel brand in Africa in terms of the number of hotels, was named “Africa’s Leading Hotel Brand” at the World Travel Awards, the most prestigious international symbol of quality.
Radisson Hotel Group has recently announced the inauguration of the first globally branded 5-star hotel in South Sudan, the Radisson Blu Hotel, Juba, and maintained its resort expansion plan with the signing of the Radisson Resort Dakar Saly in Senegal. In addition, the Radisson Blu Hotel, Livingstone in Zambia and the Radisson Safari Hotel, Hoedspruit are both scheduled to open within the next several months. M oreover, the Group strengthened its foothold in Tunisia with the recent opening of Radisson Sfax and the rebranding of La Maison Blanche Tunis as a Radisson Individuals hotel. With the launch of the most recent acquisition, the Radisson Blu Hotel Durban Umhlanga, the Group’s portfolio in South Africa grew to more than 14 hotels. In recent weeks, the Group has also inked the Radisson Collection Marsa Allam, Egypt, with 294 rooms, and the Radisson Serviced Apartments, Yaoundé, Cameroon, with 220 rooms, all opening in 2024 and further strengthening the group’s footprint in important core areas.
