Malawi should leverage peace to boost tourism

 Tomorrow, September 27, is World Tourism Day set aside to celebrate tourism and reflect on its contributions to the growth of economies worldwide through creation of jobs and revenue generation.

This year, the theme is ‘Tourism and peace’ to emphasise how sustainable tourism can transform communities while preserving cultural and national heritage of nations and help in easing tensions by facilitating peaceful coexistence.

In Malawi, tourism has always had a special place in the country’s development agenda and makes the list of key drivers that can contribute to the country’s economic growth.

Currently, tourism is the ‘T’ in the ATM+M strategy standing for agriculture, tourism, mining and manufacturing meant to drive the economic recovery plan.

Even the Malawi 2063, the country’s long-term development strategy, is anchored by three key pillars of agriculture productivity and commercialisation, industrialisation as well as urbanisation, but tourism also features high.

To stress the importance of tourism, Malawi some time back designated September as the National Tourism Month to reflect and celebrate the contribution that the sector makes to the economy.

Marketing is one important aspect in promoting tourism and visibility on the international scene is paramount, but Malawi is not as visible.

Figures show that global tourist travels are growing with 1.5 billion in 2022 out of which five percent visited Africa and 60 percent of them sampling the sub-Saharan Africa. However, of those that visited sub-Saharan Africa, at least 60 out of every 100 visited South Africa while Malawi got three out of 100.

It is indisputable that tourism has a big potential to improve Malawi’s status and can grow from the 5.8 percent contribution to the gross domestic product.

As we commemorate the National Tourism Month which reaches the climax with World Tourism Day, we should be asking ourselves the direction we want our tourism to go and learn from others on how to take it a step further.

Peace was incorporated in this year’s World Tourism Day theme to emphasise how it can be an ingredient to contribute to global peace.

In the 60 years of independence, Malawi has been a peaceful country. However, the country has failed to capitalise on this to reap benefits from tourism, a low hanging fruit, despite being endowed with natural tourist attraction places that just demand good enablers.

Why have we failed to attract more tourists and favourably compete with regional neighbours such as Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe and others? What is it that is drawing more Malawians to sample tourist attractions elsewhere during festive seasons? Honest responses to these questions will give us a starting point on what needs to be done.

Infrastructure has been one of the major hindrances to tourism growth. The roads leading to the lake and national parks need to be in usable conditions while investment in airports, as was done on Likoma Island, should be replicated in destinations such as Mangochi, Nkhotakota, Salima, Rumphi for Nyika National Park, Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve as well as Livingstonia Escarpments and other areas. Upgrading of some of the lakeshore resort districts into cities complete with international airports can also be a catalyst to tourist attractions.

Developers are putting up modern facilities, but the poor access roads put off many from travelling to sample them. Besides, there is also need to introduce exciting activities and products at the tourist resorts. In the meantime, many a tourist will check-in at a lakeshore resort and the only thing they do is go to the bar or restaurant and sit by the beach sipping their drink. To those who like swimming they get a dip into the fresh water lake. But life at the lake shouldn’t be that predictable and, many times, kind of boring.

I feel it would be more exciting if people are able to check into Sunbird Nkopola Lodge in Mangochi, for instance, have breakfast then go on a cruise to Sunbird Waterfront or Livingstonia Beach in Senga Bay, Salima where they would take their lunch and return to their base later in the day. The marine vessel in use should have fun games to avoid boredom and there can be arranged stopovers in other attractive spots such as Cape Maclear and Monkey Bay.

Cultural villages modelled on the lines of Mpale Cultural Village to showcase traditional values of communities surrounding resorts can also add value.

Tourism products should be sold as packages where one can sample a national park, then go to the mountains and end up at the lake.

Celebrate World Tourism Day, patronise some of the tourist attractions. Tidziyamba ndife a Malawi!