Angola Leaves War Behind to Put Tourism in the Front Burner

Three years after shaking itself from the grip of a devastating 30-year war, Angola is taking a few steps to jumpstart its tourism industry. The hope, said Eduardo Chingunji, minister of hotels and tourism, is to lift Angola into the world economy.

To spearhead that effort, the Angolan government is hosting the African Travel Association´s Ninth Symposium on Cultural and Ecotourism at Le Presidente Meridien in the capital city of Luanda, stretching from October 30 through November 4.

Angola´s prime minister, Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos, and the first lady, Ana Paula dos Santos, opened the proceedings at the Palace of Congress.

Angola´s government said it is hopeful that the event, with its emphasis on sustainable tourism, will help things get off on the right foot.

While the war raged, Angola´s natural assets were of little value to its citizens, let alone the foundation for tourist trade. But with an end to the violence, its lush landscapes, abundant wildlife and 1,000-mile coastline present a potential capital that Angola can trade on world markets sooner rather than later.

“It does not need a huge investment for Angolans to take advantage of it,” said Mr. Chingunji. “Only this sector has this ability. That´s the reason we are starting now.”

Located on the west coast of Africa, Angola is about twice the size of Texas, with a population of 12 million people. Bordered by the Republic of Congo, Namibia and Zambia, the country has forested hills and mountains in the north and desert in the south. A former colony of Portugal, Angola shares much cultural history with Brazil, another former colony of Portugal.

Angola sees tourism as a means to pull itself out of its dependence on oil, which accounts for 40 percent of gross domestic product and 90 percent of government revenue. Diamonds are the country´s second-biggest export, with minerals, coffee, fish, timber, cotton and other agricultural products trailing behind.