Malawi has improved its rank on openness to visitors from other African countries, an indication that visitors are now entering the country without restrictions, courtesy of the visa policy changes, it has emerged.
Published data from the 2024 Africa Visa Openness Index shows that Malawi has moved to position 22 this year from 25 out of 54 economies in 2019.
The index, jointly produced by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the African Union Commission to evaluate accessibility of African countries based on visa policies, indicates that people from 17 African countries did not need visa to enter Malawi.
It further says people from 10 countries needed a visa on arrival while those from 26 countries required a visa to cross the border.
This is unlike in 2019 when people from 15 countries did not need a visa to enter Malawi, citizens from 11 countries needed a visa on arrival while citizens from 27 countries required one to cross the border.
This followed the roll out of a policy in February this year, to lift visa restrictions for travellers from 70 countries, including the United Kingdom, China, Russia and Southern African Development Community and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa countries.
In a written response yesterday, Minister of Tourism Vera Kamtukule said the improvement will go a long way to not only prove the potential of the tourism sector, but the integrity of the steps that should be taken to develop the sector that contributes about seven percent to the country’s gross domestic
product (GDP).
“It is not enough to have a superior tourism product, but turning that into an asset from which you can benefit as a country both economically and socially is another,” she said.
Malawi has been struggling to tap from the global tourism boom since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic although the country is touted as the most attractive and complete destination in Africa.
Data from World Travel and Tourism Council indicates Malawi generated $39.4 million (about K70 billion) in 2019 from international visitor spending, but the earnings dropped to $35.5 million (about K62 billion) in 2023.
Projections further show that this year, Malawi could generate $42.9 million (about K75 billion)from international visitor spending, representing a 20.7 percent jump, according to the data.
However, the earnings are far below what Zimbabwe at $215.1 million (about K377 billion), Zambia at $901 million (about K1.6 trillion) and Mozambique at $327 million (about K573 billion) generated in 2023.
In February this year, President Lazarus Chakwera announced that to maximise tourism potential and increase its contribution to GDP and foreign exchange generation, his government will be waiving visa fees with immediate effect.
In 2015, the Malawi Government imposed visa fees for all countries, with tourists coming to Malawi required to pay $50 (about K87 550) per single entry while a multiple entry visa for six months costs $150 (about K262 650). A multiple entry visa for 12 months costs $250 (about K437 750).
This meant that following the waiver, tourists from these countries were not required to pay the fees.
Malawi Tourism Council chairperson Justin Dzinkambani said in an interview that investment in tourism product development should be significant to boost tourist numbers that can sustain the industry.
Tourism is among the three priority sectors under agriculture, tourism and mining (ATM) strategy to stimulate economic growth, but its performance has been below potential, and contributed about 5.5 percent to GDP last year.
