By Kingsley Jassi
The tourism sector appears to have partly been spared from economic slowdown, as evidenced by a surge in tourists’ inflow to pre-Covid levels, figures from the Ministry of Tourism indicate.
In a written response, the ministry said Malawi’s tourism sector had registered substantial recovery following the pandemic, with visitor inflow rising.
The number is set to surpass one million in 2024, which is a record number.
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“In 2023, the country welcomed 736,992 international visitors, marking a 70.6 percent increase compared to the previous year. This positive trend is anticipated to persist, with projections indicating that 2024 figures will exceed the pre-pandemic record level of 978,327 visitors recorded in 2019,” said Ministry of Tourism spokesperson Joseph Nkosi.
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He said the sector’s growth emanated from collaboration between the government and industry stakeholders.
“This includes targeted marketing campaigns in key tourism source markets. Malawi’s visibility at major tourism events such as in the UK (United Kingdom), Germany, RSA (Republic of South Africa], Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Kenya, etc significantly enhances awareness among international tour operators and consumers regarding the offerings available in Malawi.
“This visibility enables these stakeholders (international Tour operators/travel agents) to make competitive recommendations for visits to the country. Additionally, the implementation of visa waivers has facilitated easier arrivals for visitors, further contributing to the promotion of Malawi as a prominent travel destination,” Nkosi said.
This has been echoed by tourism players.
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Umodzi Holdings Chief Executive Officer Steve Lwanda said the firm had averaged 70
percent room occupancy in the year, which has helped to drive performance much higher.
“ Conference business has done well and that comes with accommodation. So, we see increased international conferences and we see that continuing in the next year,” Lwanda said.
He said this was a sharp increase from the average 35-room occupancy rate during the Covid period, which affected business performance as it hit the tourism sector the hardest.
Sunbird Head of Sales, Marketing and Distribution Temwa Kanjadza corroborated this, saying her company had also registered higher numbers in 2024, describing it as exciting.
She, however, spared the details until the company releases its annual financial statement.
The sector is set to grow by 5.6 percent in 2024, according to the Reserve Bank of Malawi, and will see higher growth of 8.6 percent in 2025, driven by elections that will see more travels and demand for accommodation.
