The Omatapalo business group, through a subsidiary, ONTUR, will explore, for 12 years, under contract, a project designed for the Southern Regional Center of hotels and tourism, now transformed into a three-star hotel, located in Benguela, on the right of Estrada Nacional 100, Lobito/Benguela route
The aforementioned company invested around 3 billion kwanzas to complete this imposing infrastructure, which was initially designed as a training center in hotels and tourism, by the Tourism Promotion Institute (INFOTUR), an institution attached to the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism. . Cutting the opening ribbon for the project, which has 132 rooms, a gym, conference rooms, among other areas, was the responsibility of the provincial governor, Luís Nunes.
After proceeding with the inauguration, Luís Nunes visited the premises, receiving explanations about the normal operation and features of a hotel development that increases the supply of hotels in the province of Benguela. Called “Flow Hotel”, the unit generated 80 direct and indirect jobs, within the scope of partnerships with other companies, it was also possible to create 140 jobs. Built with public funds, the structure as such already existed and had been abandoned and, therefore, there was a need to equip it.
For this undertaking, ONTUR, a subsidiary of the Omatapalo Group, created two years ago, guarantees that, in equipment and personnel training, an investment estimated at around 3 billion kwanzas was made. The hotel’s deputy director, Agostinho Julante, reiterated that the aforementioned company will, over the next twelve years, operate the hotel. “We know that the Angolan State is now working on PROPIV, to privatize some assets to generate more profits, naturally, the Angolan State wins”, he maintained, refusing to reveal to journalists the amount to be regularly paid to the State for the exploitation of the property hotelier.
The hotel manager states that the concession includes the purchase option, but does not go into detail about this, having promised, at a later date, to provide more details on the subject. Asked whether ONTUR was a competitor in several hotel chains that will be privatized in Angola by the Angolan State, seized as part of the recovery of assets, according to information, Agostinho Julante does not respond affirmatively with the argument that the focus, in the first phase, was the “Flow Hotel Benguela”. “If the management finds it necessary to expand for other purposes, we will announce it in a later circumstance”, he avoided.
Benguela with a sufficient number of hotels
Although no numbers were mentioned, the director of the Provincial Hotel and Tourism Office, Rosa Tchitali, revealed to the press that with the unit’s entry into operation, Benguela now has a number of hotels considered sufficient, depending on tourist demand.
Rosa Tchitali explained that before Flow made 132 rooms available, Benguela already had more than 2 thousand rooms. With regard to tourists, the official speaks of an annual average of more than five thousand people. “Why did you say that? Because we went through a bad time recently with Covid, when people’s movement decreased. We can only see that, now, in the province of Benguela, we almost don’t have a nightclub. This is happening because of some movement”, says the head of tourism in Benguela. However, despite this, she notes the existence of several projects to open more hotels in the province. “We, in this aspect, rely on private companies.
We are encouraging businesspeople so that they can invest more in these areas so that we can have more supply and tourists”, he said. In turn, the former president of the Benguela Hoteliers Association, Jorge Gabriel, highlighted that Flow “dislodged” the hotel school, but praised the investment made by the Omatapalo group, through ONTUR, its subsidiary. The hotelier has no doubt that better use of the space was made. “Because whoever saw this yesterday and is seeing it today, you really have to take your hat off to the great house that is here”, he stressed. He then added that “it is true that today I would like to be here at the inauguration of the large central and southern regional school in Angola. No. The sense of training is fundamental (…) But continuity in terms of training is within the spirit of the owners”. It should be noted that in the presentation of the hotel unit, the fact that the unit had created jobs was praised, and there was no shortage of people who also lamented that, from now on, Benguela would definitely be without a training center in hospitality and tourism.
BY: Constantino Eduardo, in Benguela