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Angola sets bold vision to make tourism a top-three job creator by 2036 Angola sets bold vision to make tourism a top-three job creator by 2036

Angola is positioning tourism at the very heart of its national economic strategy, with Tourism Minister Márcio Daniel declaring that the sector is on track to become one of the country's top three drivers of employment. Speaking in Luanda at the opening of the conference marking the tenth anniversary of the Association of Hotels and Resorts of Angola (AHRA), the minister laid out an ambitious roadmap that could reshape Angola's standing on Africa's tourism map over the coming decade [[1]](https://allafrica.com/stories/202607080699.html)

Central to the minister's message was the direct link between visitor arrivals and job creation. According to figures shared at the conference, every additional thousand tourists generates at least three new jobs within the sector [[1]](https://allafrica.com/stories/202607080699.html). In a country where roughly 65 per cent of the population is under the age of 25, this multiplier effect carries enormous social significance, particularly for youth employment and rural development For sub-Saharan Africa's travel trade, Angola's approach offers a fascinating case study in using tourism as a lever for economic diversification away from oil dependency.

Looking to the future, Márcio Daniel outlined concrete performance targets for the next ten years. By 2036, Angola aims to see international arrivals grow fivefold, crossing the milestone of one million tourists annually. The plan is not simply about numbers, however. The minister emphasised that increasing the average length of stay is equally important, with a deliberate focus on attracting high-spending European markets — travellers with both the time and financial capacity to explore beyond Luanda and into Angola's diverse regional offerings.

Domestic tourism forms another critical pillar of the vision. By steadily boosting local travel flows, the government hopes to sustain demand throughout the year, ensuring predictable business volumes for tourism service providers and helping hotels maintain healthy occupancy levels far beyond traditional peak seasons. This year-round demand model is one many African destinations are exploring as a way to reduce vulnerability to seasonal fluctuations.

The minister also confirmed a significant milestone: Angola has welcomed 223,000 international tourists, surpassing pre-pandemic figures recorded in 2019 and reversing a long-standing downward trend. Perhaps more importantly, the profile of visitors is evolving. "Quality is more important than quantity. The number of leisure tourists visiting us grew by 20%, rising from approximately 43,400 in 2024 to over 52,000 in 2025. The profile of our visitors is finally changing," Márcio Daniel said [[1]](https://allafrica.com/stories/202607080699.html). This shift from business-heavy travel to genuine leisure tourism represents a fundamental transformation for the Angolan market.

On the regulatory side, meaningful reforms are already streamlining operations for tourism businesses. Operators can now obtain their licenses without leaving their establishments and be entered into the tourism statistical system in just 20 minutes This digital efficiency will allow authorities to regularly measure each visitor's average spending, giving policymakers sharper data to design initiatives that generate real profitability for tourism enterprises.

Financial innovation is also playing a key role in the strategy. The minister highlighted the strategic importance of recent agreements signed with the national financial system, describing an innovative financial mechanism that is not focused on traditional supply-side intervention but rather engineered to structurally stimulate aggregate demand in the domestic market. By creating instruments designed to boost domestic tourism consumption, the government aims to address one of the sector's most persistent challenges: the pronounced seasonal curve that undermines year-round profitability.

Framing tourism as Angola's "green oil", Márcio Daniel has consistently argued that the sector holds enormous potential to create jobs, develop rural regions and sustainably harness the country's natural and cultural heritage [[2]](https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/angola-sets-its-sights-on-a-brighter-future-with-tourism-as-the-key-to-economic-diversification-and-sustainable-growth/). This vision is reinforced by broader national targets, including efforts to double tourism revenue and increase the sector's contribution to GDP in the coming years [[2]](https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/angola-sets-its-sights-on-a-brighter-future-with-tourism-as-the-key-to-economic-diversification-and-sustainable-growth/). The minister has also called for stronger cooperation across the African continent, arguing that collaboration rather than competition should guide the continent's tourism development [[3]](https://trendsnafrica.com/angolan-tourism-minister-calls-for-stronger-african-cooperation-to-transform-the-continents-tourism-sector/).

For travel professionals across sub-Saharan Africa, Angola's evolving strategy signals fresh opportunities. From new inbound partnerships and cross-border itinerary building to potential investment in hospitality infrastructure and regional connectivity, the country's determined push to reshape its tourism identity is one to watch closely as Africa's travel landscape continues to expand and diversify.