Minister of Tourism Vera Kamtukule has said the Malawi Tourism Authority will become operational by end August this year.
Speaking during a stakeholders meeting on the Tourism Act 2025 in Blantyre on Thursday, the minister said what is remaining is the constitution of the board, which will in turn hire the authority’s director general and management team.
“We believe that by end August, the institution should be in place so that it can do the things it is supposed to in terms of product development and destination marketing,” said Kamtukule.
The Tourism Act 2025, which President Lazarus Chakwera recently assented to, replaced the Tourism and Hotels Act of 1968.
The new law provides for the establishment of the tourism authority to oversee standardisation, tourism product development, collection of the tourism fund and managing the tourism fund.
The Act also provides for the establishment of the Malawi College of Tourism, which will see the Malawi Institute of Tourism becoming a fully-fledged college.
Malawi Tourism Council executive director Memory Kamthunzi said the law will separate the duties of the Ministry of Tourism.
“Marketing, licensing and grading will go to the Tourism Authority and the ministry will just be left with the policy,” she said.
Kamthunzi said the council has high expectations on how the Malawi Tourism Authority will position Malawi as a marketable destination.
Tourism is touted as one of the sectors that is key to transforming the economy as part of the agriculture, tourism, mining and manufacturing strategy.
