Angola has officially launched the Angola Convention Bureau (ACB).
Officially inaugurated at the Talatona Convention Centre in Luanda on May 6, the launch gathered around 400 delegates from government, tourism, aviation, hospitality and the international events industry, including investors, tourism stakeholders and international partners.
The event also welcomed Senthil Gopinath, CEO of the International Congress and Convention Association, signalling Angola’s growing ambitions to compete more aggressively within the global business events market, according to Angola Tourism.
Held under the theme “Meet in Angola – The Meeting Room in Africa”, the initiative is part of Angola’s broader strategy to diversify its economy through tourism, international investment and business travel.
Opening the launch, José de Lima Massano, Angola’s Minister of State for Economic Coordination, described the ACB as an important instrument for positioning the country competitively within the international events market.
He highlighted the country’s progress in economic diversification, growth in the non-oil sector and tourism’s increasing role as a strategic pillar of development, supported by visa exemptions for more than 100 countries and continued investment in tourism infrastructure and connectivity.
Márcio de Jesus Lopes Daniel, Angola’s Minister of Tourism, said the ACB is designed not only to attract international conferences and corporate events but also to generate employment, investment and global visibility for Angola.
“Angola is prepared to host events of an international scale. The launch of the ABC represents an important step in strengthening our international positioning and showcasing Angola as a modern and competitive destination for business tourism in Africa,” he said.
International consultancy KLEBER GROUP, which recently expanded into Angola with a new office in Luanda, described the ACB launch as a turning point for the destination’s international positioning.
“The launch signals that Angola is moving from being an emerging destination with potential to one that is actively investing in the institutional structures, partnerships and infrastructure required to compete regionally and globally,” Theresa Bay-Müller, Africa Account Director at KLEBER GROUP, told Tourism Update.
“Luanda is already an important economic gateway for sectors such as energy, mining, infrastructure, agriculture and investment, making it highly relevant for conferences, forums and corporate events linked to African growth markets. At the same time, Angola remains relatively undiscovered internationally, which is increasingly attractive to organisers seeking fresh and authentic destinations,” she said.
However, Bay-Müller cautioned, further investment is needed for Angola to compete consistently with more established African MICE destinations such as South Africa, Rwanda, Kenya and Morocco.
“International air connectivity remains one of the most important priorities, particularly increasing direct routes from key global source markets. There is also an opportunity to continue expanding hospitality capacity beyond Luanda, strengthen destination service training and further develop integrated tourism information and event support systems.”
Despite these challenges, Bay-Müller believes Angola could become an increasingly important player in Southern and Central Africa’s evolving business events landscape.
“Rather than replacing established destinations, Angola has the opportunity to complement and diversify the regional MICE landscape by attracting sector-specific conferences, investment forums and pan-African business gatherings,” she said.
