Hotel groups Hilton and Marriot announce African expansion plans

US hotel chains Hilton and Marriott have announced African expansion drives to tap into the continent’s rapid tourism growth.



Rising business and leisure travel on the continent has made it increasingly attractive for multinational companies. Hilton said on Wednesday that it plans to more than triple its African portfolio to more than 160 hotels.



Marriott expects to add 50 properties by 2027, it said on Wednesday. Those will include entry into five new countries: Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar and Mauritania.



The group’s existing African portfolio encompasses nearly 150 properties and 26 000 rooms across 20 countries and 22 brands.



International arrivals to the continent rose 9% year on year in the first quarter of 2025, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation says, 16% above the same period of pre-pandemic 2019.



That momentum is translating into economic impact. Tourism accounts for between 3% and 7% of gross domestic product in countries such as Kenya, Morocco and South Africa, and up to 15% in tourism-heavy economies such as Namibia, World Bank and national statistics show.– REUTERS