00:00:17: Welcome to the ITB Berlin Travel Europe podcast.

00:00:21: The platform where we speak with global tourism leaders, destinations and industry decision-makers shaping the future of travel.

00:00:27: I'm Ryan Fuller from ITB Bulin And i have the pleasure of moderating today's conversation.

00:00:33: Todays episode is a very special one as We look ahead to it be bullet in twenty twenty six.

00:00:38: an official host country Angola One of Africa's most exciting and fast emerging tourism destinations.

00:00:45: Angola is a country of vast landscapes, cultural richness and growing international visibility.

00:00:51: And it's entering the new chapter in its tourism development.

00:00:55: I'm very pleased to welcome Mr Alicia Santos Director General of Infotour Angola.

00:01:00: Alisha leads Angola's International Tourism Promotion efforts... ...and has been instrumental in positioning the countries strategically on the global stage.

00:01:08: Alisha It's real pleasure to have you with us today.

00:01:11: Oh thankyou so much Ryan for this beautiful introduction.

00:01:13: Hello everybody I'm very honored to be here today, to talk about a little bit more on my country and show the world why we are Africa's best-kept secret.

00:01:24: So let us begin by setting this scene.

00:01:26: Angola is ITVs host country for twenty twenty six.

00:01:29: For many consumers as well as travel trade Angola still relatively unknown As a leisure destination.

00:01:37: If you had to introduce Angola in five or six short sentences To our global tourism audience.

00:01:42: What would you say?

00:01:44: I would say that Angola is a vibrant place, it's warm country and not only warm by the weather but warm from people.

00:01:52: People really love receiving and we are very welcoming!

00:01:56: Angola has great places to eat, Angola have great places for rest & find yourself...I think i will define my country like this.

00:02:04: Alicia.

00:02:05: so Angola still largely untouched or untouched by tourism and indeed often described as hidden gem.

00:02:11: Why do you think that is?

00:02:12: It's an Eden gem because we just woke up for tourism and We are ready to show the world all our natural researchers, our touristic researches.

00:02:24: We have The World's oldest desert, this Namibia Desert .We Have Mountains ,Tropical Forests, Mayumba Forests... We have Kalandula Waterfalls Mountains, we have rivers in Angola.

00:02:39: We have the Okavango River and it's born in Angolan And also rich tribes all these kingdoms here.

00:02:49: until this moment you can visit them.

00:02:52: That is why we are talking about Angola as a hidden gem A country full of new flavours.

00:02:58: actually I think that is best way to describe it.

00:03:02: It will be next destination for the next years because you have so much to do in Angola.

00:03:09: Also, I forgot to tell about the beaches.

00:03:11: we have a long coastline and you can surf even in angola.

00:03:16: So let's talk about where the country stands today In terms of tourism development.

00:03:21: Can you describe the current status of Tourism Development?

00:03:24: Yes Thank You so much For this question.

00:03:26: This is very Very massive And why We are so excited About it?

00:03:31: Because current developing policies to help the country grow in terms of tourism.

00:03:36: We are oil dependent economy and right now we're turning this economy for tourism, we have building capacity programs our deniment of the territory regarding tourism, putting equipment in the right places.

00:03:59: We have a strategy for marketing and we also are reclassifying our hotels to match international standards because they do everything at the same time so that we can work towards investments and very cool place, a very welcoming place for all our tourists since the most exigent one to less-exigent ones.

00:04:23: We are creating other facilities in order to receive all of their needs.

00:04:27: so much energy globally.

00:04:30: And looking ahead what are concrete priorities?

00:04:33: For next five years we're still working towards investment in tourism sector.

00:04:40: We are creating the appeal and we thank you for this question again, because we're going to launch the Angola doing business during ITB.

00:04:48: So it's a manual development in partnership with Onu Tourism To see that the country is safe.

00:04:54: The country has very good place to invest that has the projects ready to, to the investors.

00:05:02: Bankable project scalable projects and we are very excited to show this growth.

00:05:08: so you want to have control tourism growth don't want... We want to receive tourists but wants be a sustainable country to visit.

00:05:18: like not having an uncontrolled growth, but a very structured growth with the plan.

00:05:24: We have new airport facilities.

00:05:27: we are creating all the ecosystem in the way you can enjoy the country But do not feel like overwhelmed or don't feel like overcrowded.

00:05:35: is destination to grow and then they have all the margin.

00:05:40: I think we're picking out of boxes In order to have this control and sustainable growth.

00:05:45: Yeah And it's clearly ambitious and long term as you mentioned.

00:05:48: so and growth at that scale always comes with responsibility.

00:05:53: And, as you know sustainability is central to global tourism discussions today often if not always talked about in all facets of tourism.

00:06:01: So how is Angola ensuring tourism growth remains socially and environmentally responsible?

00:06:07: Yes we are working with communities.

00:06:09: We have local communities closest to our natural resources.

00:06:16: Good for all in order to collaborate with the local communities is to understand and teach.

00:06:23: It's about teaching tourism literacy.

00:06:26: you know it's.

00:06:27: the most part of my job as a Institute for promotion is talk with people and say we're going to receive people, these people want to buy your art crafts.

00:06:37: For example they want to taste their food.

00:06:40: so we are creating programs in order to empower them not be like scared or suspicious about tourists but create an environment that everybody can win and convive place.

00:06:56: For example, when tourists visit the Inba tribes that we have in the southern region of our country they often want to engage with community.

00:07:07: They want to see why they cover their skin with a paste To protect from the sun is one of the beauty secrets of Inbas because it has such long hair and very good skin.

00:07:20: And they wanted to taste Mahini Coated milk that they produce because... They have cows, their richness.

00:07:29: There are people who live to farm.

00:07:32: So this experience help the tribe to sustain themselves and also give a new taste to the tourists because it's the first time they have contact with this type of experience.

00:07:44: So we are working towards this sense, I don't know if these experiences make you like want to when to be in Angola but is one of things that open your mind?

00:07:53: Because Like we live in big cities And We do not Have Contact Enough With The Nature When You Take Your Cult Off And then you relax and allow yourself to live the experience.

00:08:04: To learn with them, I think that when they do arrive...

00:08:12: For sure!

00:08:13: One thing we can agree on is everyone wants beautiful skin so i think alone would attract a lot of people.

00:08:20: That's amazing and tourism has many layers.

00:08:23: So it's good that is not standardised and that attracting tourism takes the tourists to all parts of Angola.

00:08:29: And they really get experience from the bottom up, right?

00:08:34: They get to see everything.

00:08:36: so its very important!

00:08:38: Of course too add culture preservation is incredibly important.

00:08:42: I do like you mentioned this

00:08:44: Yes thank-you for bringing us the vast diversity we have in our country.

00:08:50: you can experience different tastes of Angola in each region.

00:08:55: for the northern, one type of experience and southern you could experience other things.

00:09:01: I really love the desert experience.

00:09:03: to camp under the stars without network it sounds scary but first time oh my god i do not have a network here.

00:09:11: But when you unplug You get connect with yourself and you're there in the desert, under the stars.

00:09:21: Seeing the ocean like... You already have your white nose for free?

00:09:25: You don't need to see any ad on YouTube!

00:09:30: You listen to the waves, you are under the star and having a beautiful experience just unplugging it for few days.

00:09:37: camping at the desert I think is one of my experiences that i will always remember because sometimes you travel too to unplug or relax.

00:09:47: You're constantly bombarding with news, with advertising and music in a loud system.

00:09:53: And then when you allow yourself to step back... ...and enjoy what's on your front, it is beautiful experience!

00:10:01: It has been also like you can fish your own food and enjoy fresh food, fresh local and grow within our country.

00:10:12: I think is marvelous.

00:10:13: Alicia Thank you very much for sharing Angola's vision and strategy with us today.

00:10:18: We look forward to welcoming Angola as host country at ITV Berlin in twenty-twenty six, and seeing this exciting journey unfold.