At the recent Africa Travel Association (ATA) Congress in Arusha, Tanzania, H.E. President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete (left), The United Republic of Tanzania,  welcomes Vivienne Willison (right), Director of Sales, CHI Hotels & Resorts and newly elected Vice President of the ATA's International Board of Directors, to Arusha. Karen Hoffman (second from right), Sr. Vice President, the New York-based Bradford Group, (which represents both the Tanzania Tourist Board and CHI Hotels & Resorts in the US) introduced Ms. Willison to H.E. President Kikwete.

Vivienne Willison, Sales Director for the Malta-based hotel operators CHI Hotels and Resorts (formerly Corinthia Hotels International) was elected a Vice President of the International Board of Directors of the Africa Travel Association (ATA) at its 33rd International Conference which took place in Arusha, Tanzania. ATA is the New York-based premier professional travel industry association promoting tourism to the continent of Africa.

Commenting on her election, Willison said “I am very pleased to represent CHI Hotels and Resorts on the ATA Board especially since CHI Hotels and Resorts is on a major expansion track in Africa, through its joint venture agreement to operate the Wyndham and Ramada Plaza brands in Europe, Middle East and Africa, as well as managing its own Corinthia Hotels luxury brand and other independent hotels.”

CHI Hotels and Resorts, already one of the fastest growing hotel management companies in the Europe and Mediterranean regions, is indeed expanding in Africa as well. On the African Continent, their properties include the Atlantic Hotel in The Gambia, The Ramada Plaza Tunis in Tunisia, and the five-star Corinthia Bab Africa Hotel in Libya. Meanwhile, the Wyndham Port Lixus Resort in Morocco, the Corinthia Hotel Algiers, and the Corinthia Benghazi hotel in Libya are targeted to open in 2010. CHI is also close to announcing a multi-property deal in Egypt, while also looking at several hotel management propositions throughout the African continent.