Malawi’s modest improvement in global tourism rankings is yet to translate into meaningful competitiveness, as the country remains among the world’s four lowest-performing destinations.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026 Travel and Tourism Development Index ranks Malawi 107th out of 110 countries, with a score of 3.08 out of seven, a rise of from 108 in 2024 and a 1.3 percent increase in its score.
However, the country has maintained the same 107th position it occupied in 2019.
Malawi is also trailing peers Tanzania which ranks 74th, Botswana 84th, Namibia 90th, Zambia 96th, Zimbabwe 101st and South Africa 61st.
WEF managing director Kiva Allgood observed that growing pressure on infrastructure, natural assets and public services, coupled with rising accommodation, transport and operating costs, is undermining the sustainability and affordability of tourism destinations.
She said: “Investment in infrastructure has not kept pace.
“Without stronger investment and destination management, there is a risk that tourism growth will place greater strain on the very communities and assets on which its long-term success depends.”
The competitiveness concerns come against a background of improving economic returns from the sector, with World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) data showing that tourism’s total contribution to Malawi’s gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 23.3 percent between 2019 and 2025 to K1.6 trillion.
The Malawi 2026 WTTC Economic Impact Research shows that the sector’s contribution rose from K1.3 trillion in 2019 to K1.6 trillion in 2025.
In an interview on Tuesday, Orbis Destination Management Company managing director Innocent Kaliati said although the sector is recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, Malawi remains insufficiently accessible to international tourists and investors, limiting its ability to unlock greater economic opportunities.
“There is only so much that can be done by the private sector, but we need the government to help us enable the environment to unlock the international traffic,” he said.
Ministry of Industrialisation, Business, Trade and Tourism spokesperson Patrick Botha said in an interview that developing and promoting regional and international meetings, incentives, conventions and events is among the opportunities government is pursuing to expand tourism over the next three years.
The World Bank, however, estimates that Malawi is losing $100 million (about K175 billion) in private tourism investment and 60 000 potential jobs because of weaknesses in the concession framework for high-value tourism sites, further undermining its competitiveness and limiting the sector’s contribution to economic transformation.
Tourism is strategically prioritised under the long-term development blueprint, Malawi 2063, in recognition of its transformative contribution to socio-economic development, job creation and poverty reduction.
Beyond its direct impact on GDP, foreign exchange earnings and employment, the sector provides unique livelihood opportunities for women, the youth and other vulnerable groups, while stimulating indirect gains.
