David Scowsill, President & CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council, said AHIF would be going ahead as planned. David Scowsill, President & CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council, said AHIF would be going ahead as planned.

Tourism and hospitality leaders are gathering in Nairobi, Kenya for a major hotel investment conference just two days after a horrific terror attack on the city’s Westgate shopping mall, in which at least 62 people have died and 175 more have been injured.

The siege, believed to be lead by Somalia based Al-Qaeda-affiliated militants al-Shabaab, is ongoing, with hostages reported to remain inside the mall. A rescue operation is underway.

According to the organizers of the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF), Bench Events, the conference is moving ahead with “support from the Kenya Tourist Development Corporation (KTDC) and the Kenyan government”.

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David Scowsill, President & CEO of the World Travel & Tourism Council, said: "Despite this terrible incident in the shopping centre in Nairobi and the appalling loss of life, I am planning to fly to Nairobi on Monday to attend the Africa Hotel Investment Conference. It is important that the travel industry supports Kenya at this difficult time.

“It is an on-going situation and the safety of our delegates is of absolute importance. We will keep you updated and as I said above, we are moving ahead with the conference.”

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