The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) says Malawi’s travel and tourism sector increased its contribution to the economy by 23.3 percent between 2019 and 2025 to hit K1.6 trillion.
The data, contained in the Malawi 2026 WTTC Economic Impact Research, show that the sector’s total contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) rose from K1.3 trillion in 2019, equivalent to 5.4 percent of the economy, to K1.6 trillion in 2025, lifting its contribution to to 5.9 percent.
Travel and tourism also supported 726 700 jobs in 2025, up 22.3 percent from 594 000 jobs in 2019, although its share of total employment remained at 8.7 percent, according to the report.
On the other hand, international visitors generated $49.3 million (K85.2 billion) in visitor exports, representing just 6.1 percent of total tourism spending, compared with 93.9 percent or about K1.32 trillion from domestic travel.
In an interview yesterday, Orbis Destination Management Company managing director Innocent Kaliati, whose firm operates in the tourism sector, observed that while it is good to see the sector recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic, as a destination, Malawi is not doing enough to attract both foreign visitors and foreign investment in the sector.
He said there are a lot of things to be done but top on that list is reviewing the accessibility issues.
Said Kaliati: “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.
“We don’t have direct flights to Malawi and neither do we have major airlines flying in. International tourists fly from Europe into our neighbouring countries. Until we are accessible, unlocking international traffic will be difficult to achieve.”
Data contained in the June 2026 World Bank Malawi Country Private Sector Diagnostic Report show that despite tourism’s potential as a source of foreign exchange, 95 percent of tourism revenue in 2024 came from domestic travellers, compared to 78 percent in South Africa and 47 percent in Rwanda.
Ironically, most international visitors travel to Malawi to visit friends and relatives, contributing to low spending levels of just $37 (K65 000) per visitor in 2024, compared to $312 (K546 000) in Rwanda, $258 (K452 000) in Mozambique, $781 (K1.3 million) in Zambia and $838 (K1.4 million) in South Africa.
Malawi remains one of the least competitive tourism destinations globally, ranking 115th out of 119 countries in the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Development Index 2024.
This is despite the sector 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.
Malawi Tourism Council executive director Memory Kamthunzi, in an interview yesterday, said despite challenges, the sector is witnessing growth across multiple sub-sectors, with increasing local investment and innovation.
She noted that that business tourism, conferences and meetings currently account for between 60 and 70 percent of tourism spending, making regional integration efforts particularly important.
Ministry of Industrialisation, Business, Trade and Tourism spokesperson Patrick Botha said Malawi’s focus on developing and promoting regional and international meetings, incentives, conventions and events provides another pathway for the growth of the tourism sector in the next three years.
