Two leading U.S. hotel chains, Hilton and Marriott, have unveiled ambitious plans to expand their presence across Africa, aiming to take advantage of the continent’s fast-growing tourism sector.
With a steady increase in both business and leisure travel, Africa continues to attract major international brands. Hilton announced its intention to more than triple its African operations, expanding its portfolio to over 160 hotels. The group plans to debut in Angola, Ghana, and Benin, while reestablishing operations in Madagascar and Tanzania.
Read Also:
- Flour Mills of Nigeria Unveils Ambitious $1 Billion Expansion Plan
- LemFi Acquires UK-Based Card Issuer Pillar to Expand Remittance and Credit Services
Similarly, Marriott has set a goal of adding 50 new properties across Africa by 2027. This includes planned entry into five new markets: Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, and Mauritania. Currently, Marriott manages nearly 150 properties and 26,000 rooms across 20 countries on the continent under 22 different brands.
Air travel in the region is also expanding in response to rising demand. Emirates now operates 161 weekly flights across Africa and recently launched daily services to Entebbe and Addis Ababa. United Airlines opened a direct Washington-Dakar route in May, and Delta Airlines is preparing to launch seasonal daily flights to Accra by December.
Tourism growth is evident in data from the first quarter of 2025, with international arrivals up 9% year-on-year—16% higher than the same period in pre-pandemic 2019. This surge is having a real economic impact, with tourism contributing 3% to 7% of GDP in countries like Kenya, Morocco, and South Africa, and up to 15% in tourism-focused nations like Namibia.
