Picture: Nadia Gantes, Gran Meliá Arusha’s Cluster Head of Groups and International Contracting
In the heart of Arusha, Gran Meliá Arusha has emerged as the leading venue for conferences, incentives, and meetings, becoming a benchmark for business events in Tanzania. Nadia Gantes, Cluster Head of Groups and International Contracting, shared her insights on the hotel’s impressive growth over the past four years.
“We didn’t expect it when I arrived in Arusha, but over the last four years, we have seen the growth in MICE segment. It has become the hotel of reference for conferences, not only for government and international organisations but also for incentives and meetings. The demand is increasing every day,” she remarked.
Gran Meliá Arusha’s facilities cater to a wide range of events. The property boasts 176 rooms and seven conference rooms, with its largest space accommodating up to 500 people. Nadia highlighted, “Although we have a lot of incentives and conference guests staying in-house, we also have a lot of outside guests. Every conference organised in Arusha comes to Gran Meliá Arusha as the first preference.”
Sustainability at the Core
Gran Meliá Arusha stands out not only for its business acumen but also for its commitment to sustainability. Nadia explained, “We have our handcraft shop inside the hotel, where all our decorations – leather, textiles, every material – are made. We also have our own water plantation, we work with solar panels, and we try to avoid food waste, especially in conferences, as much as possible.”
She further elaborated on their strategy for managing food consumption: “We calculate very well what everybody has consumed, we analyse the trends of the conferences we have at the moment, and how it will develop in the future. Those are the main things.”
Challenges and Opportunities
While the business events sector in Tanzania is expanding, challenges such as unreliable infrastructure persist.
“The main challenge that we find as an international brand is the technology logistics – like the lack of internet many times and power cuts,” Nadia noted.
These challenges have a significant impact on operations. “The internet connection doesn’t allow us to have our CRM system that we use as an international brand. This limits us because this segment is a very fast-paced environment, and you need to be the first one to respond,” she explained.
Despite these setbacks, Nadia expressed optimism: “We keep investigating and trying to implement this system, but if the internet capacity improves one day, my segment will grow even faster than it is already growing.”
The Future of MICE in Tanzania
As Arusha continues to grow as a hub for business events, Gran Meliá Arusha remains at the forefront. With its robust facilities, focus on sustainability, and ability to adapt to challenges, the property exemplifies the potential of international brands in emerging markets.
“It’s about to become one of the top ten hotels inside Melia Hotels International in terms of numbers of production for my segment,” Nadia revealed, underscoring the hotel’s growing stature.
Gran Meliá Arusha is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Tanzania’s MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) sector.
