By Patience Lunda:
The Tourism Council of Malawi (MTC) has said poor road infrastructure at tourism sites is one of the contributing factors to the country’s slow tourism growth.
According to the council, with poor roads, tourists find it difficult to reach attractive destinations.
It says the poor roads also increase the risk of accidents.
MTC Executive Director Memory Kamthunzi said this has been a growing concern among stakeholders, who include tour operators, local businesses and tourists.
Kamthunzi added that they wrote the ministries of Transport and Public Works and Tourism, respectively, to address the problem of poor roads leading to tourism sites.
“We are actively engaging all relevant stakeholders, including government ministries, local authorities and private sector partners, to address the road infrastructure challenges. The council is committed to ensuring the sustainability and growth of the tourism sector,” she said.
In an interview, Minister of Transport and Public Works Jacob Hara acknowledged the concerns, saying they were already rehabilitating some roads.
Hara added that this was in line with the Agriculture, Tourism and Mining (ATM) Strategy the government is championing.
“The President [Lazarus Chakwera] has been emphasising on [the importance of] the ATM Strategy and these are very important strategies as far as the country’s economy is concerned. As we look towards 2063 [in line with the Malawi 2063 vision], transport becomes a great enabler and, as we plan our road network, we are ensuring that we are also connecting tourism destinations, mines and agricultural activities,” Hara said.
Some of the roads that MTC says require urgent rehabilitation are the Golomoti Road, the M10 Road, M5 road, the Northern corridor and roads linking regional hubs of tourism districts.
The Rumphi-Nyika Road, which leads to Nyika National Park, has also been in a sorry state for a while.
