Hilton to add 100 hotels in Africa over five years

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. <HLT.N> plans to spend $50 million over the next five years to add 100 hotels to its chain in Africa, it said on Thursday, joining other chains keen to tap growing business and international travel on the continent.

One property will open in the Kenyan capital Nairobi by the end of this year and another in the Rwandan capital Kigali in 2018, it said in a statement.

There was 11 percent growth in Sub-Saharan African tourism in the past year, according to data from the U.N. World Tourism Organisation.

Hilton said the remaining additions to its 39 existing African properties would be operational within the next five years.

"The model of converting existing hotels into Hilton branded properties has proved highly successful in a variety of markets and we expect to see great opportunities to convert hotels to Hilton brands through this initiative," said Patrick Fitzgibbon, Hilton's senior vice president for development in Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Earlier this week, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts said it would open six new hotels on the continent by 2020.

(This version of the story has been refiled to add full name of company in first paragraph)

(Reporting by George Obulutsa; Editing by Mark Potter)