EAC
Saturday, June 21, 2014
AICC to expand to a convention centre
ARUSHA, Tanzania - The Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC) has plans afoot to construct the largest convention centre in Eastern Africa.
The gigantic project, Mount Kilimanjaro International Convention Centre (MKICC), will be built in Arusha on a plot along the Njiro Road in Themi hills area, able to host 10,000 delegates at a time.
The MKICC design includes a plenary hall capable of accommodating more than 2, 500 people in addition to exhibition floor which can be converted to have another conference facility to sit 7, 500 people, to increase capacity and maximize on revenues.
The project, which is expected to cost nearly 250 million US dollars in the Themi Hills location, and the feasibility study towards the undertaking has been accomplished, ready for construction works to begin.
AICC managing director, Elishilia Kaaya, said the convention centre is a government driven investment, aimed at reinforcing Arusha’s position as the hub of ‘conference tourism in East Africa.
“On a wider level, with the infrastructure and capacity delivery, the goal is to make Arusha as an East African conference hub, and we believe with our expertise in the conference segment, we can increase revenues”, said Kaaya.
The AICC’s mission is to promote and provide quality business, tourism services to national and International clientele for enhanced national, social and economic development with the vision of being a model and enabler of business tourism.
The AICC is wholly owned by the Government of United Republic of Tanzania and operates under the purview of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation.
The MKICC is expected to greatly transform the Arusha landscape, and once completed; the state-of-the art complex is going to feature conference halls and other complementary services.
The over 300 billion/- Mount Kilimanjaro International Convention Centre according to Mr. Kaaya, will include under one roof, conference halls, exhibition space, restaurants, a “skeleton hotel,” a shopping centre and other amenities to make the new facility an “All-in- one” international meeting arena.
The MD pointed out that Tanzania needs to come up with a modern, state-of-the art convention facility because the country anticipate to host many international conventions, meetings and conferences in the future, many of which are lined up under the AICC.
The existing Arusha International Conference Centre complex was formerly built, specifically intended to house the former East African Community (EAC) headquarters before it collapsed in 1977.
The three-winged former EAC complex was converted into the (AICC) conference facility, but according to its MD, there are still many features lacking for it to be a fully fledged convergence centre thus the move to build another facility in time.
The Tanzania government then established the AICC in 1978 to take over operations of the properties inherited from the defunct EAC, including the current Conference Centre, residential units in Soweto and Kijenge suburbs and hospital along Nyerere Road, as well as a number of estate units.
Apart from having a big stake of local, regional and international conference business, the AICC has a branch in Dar es Salaam, The Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNCC) that is increasingly attracting conferences and big events in Tanzania.
By Elisha Mayallah, Saturday, June 21st, 2014