However, recent years have seen the situation improve somewhat, with Best Western International, InterContinental Hotels Group and Marriott International all entering the market. One of the latest companies to zero in on Ethiopia is French hospitality group AccorHotels – owner of brands such as Pullman, Sofitel, Novotel and Ibis. All AccorHotels’ properties in Ethiopia are owned by local businesspeople, with the group only responsible for the management of the premises. However, the company, leveraging its global size, has assisted one of the Ethiopian hotel owners to secure financing from an international lender. It is an obstacle for foreign investors to be able to access the land at the real market value, because the market value, due to a lack of transparency, is not known.”

Source: The North Africa Journal March 06, 2017 14:53 UTC