The influential Forum de l'Investissement Hôtelier Africain (FIHA) (www.FIHA-Conference.com), which is known for its ability to link up new investors with developers, consultants, contractors, hoteliers and political leaders, has been postponed. It was scheduled to take place in Abidjan later this month, but the outbreak of the Coronavirus has affected the event, as an increasing number of delegates have expressed reservations about travelling at this time. Therefore, FIHA's organiser, Bench Events, and Accor, the host sponsor, have agreed that the best course of action is to delay the event now and give participants sufficient time to reschedule their plans. The meeting will be held on 7-9 July and all current registrations will be automatically transferred.

Jonathan Worsley, Chairman, Bench Events, said: "A number of participating companies are responding to the Coronavirus outbreak by implementing policies to restrict their executives from travelling and we must make sure that our delegates are safe. As FIHA is all about networking and meeting people, that is a genuine challenge. I am grateful to many of our speakers and sponsors who have told us they are willing to reschedule to a later date. We are also grateful to Accor and the Sofitel for being so understanding and flexible."

About The Bench

The Bench has built a legacy as a global curator of opportunity, designing transformative forums and summits that empower the hospitality and travel industries to connect, innovate, and thrive. With over two decades of expertise, The Bench creates platforms that go beyond transactions to inspire collaboration and drive meaningful change.

Each event brings together government leaders, tourism ministries, global travel associations, leading hospitality brands, hotel owners and investors, airlines, destination developers, and more. From flagship gatherings like FHS World (formerly AHIC) and FHS Saudi Arabia, to FHS Africa (formerly AHIF) and AviaDev, The Bench creates events where ideas spark, relationships deepen, and investments take flight.

The Bench thrives on fostering dynamic and forward-looking dialogues, uniting industry pioneers to address challenges, seize opportunities, and co-create the future. Each event is crafted to deliver more than just connections - it's about transforming ideas into action and building a better tomorrow.

Discover more at thebench.com

About FHS World

Dates: 27-29 October 2025

Location: Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE

Sponsors: Jumeirah as Host Sponsor; China - Chongqing District Pavilion, Maldives Fund Management Company (MFMC), Neom, Rua Al Madinah, Taiba Investments and Territorial Development Agency (Albania) as Strategic Partners; PWC as Knowledge Partner; Accor, Arada Hospitality LLC, Barriere, ClubMed, IHG Hotels & Resorts, Italia Hospitality, Marriott International, Radisson Hotel Group, Red Sea Global, Rotana, The Ascott Limited, Tourism Promotions Board Philippines and UAE Ministry of Economy & Tourism as Headline Sponsors; Action Hotels, Aleph Hospitality, Aristara.ai, ARK People Solutions, Arthur D Little, Blastness, Bushtec Creations, BWH Hotels, CBRE, Colliers, Compass Project Consulting, Credibl ESG, EHL Hospitality, ELKO EP, Enterprise Greece, Forsite Creative, H World International, IHCL, JLL, JT & Partners, Knight Frank, Louvre Hotels, Minor Hotels, Parsons, QUO, Rikas Hospitality, Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), STR – a CoStar Group Company, Technogym, The First Group Hospitality, TUI Hotels & Resorts, United Hospitality Management, UNS and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts as Sponsors; Cavendish Maxwell, Centara Hotels & Resorts, Inntelo AI, Rove Hotels and Shaza Hotels as Exhibitors; and Adyen, dailypoint, ExploreTECH, Fairmas, Flyr, Portal and RMS Cloud in the ExploreTECH Tech Pavilion.

David Tarsh
+44 (0) 20 7602 5262
The Bench

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