Govt Commits To Support Tourism Sector

Govt commits to support tourism sector ……..

By Vitumbiko Mvula…….

The State Lazarus Chakwera said the government is committed to support the development of the tourism sector in the country.

Chakwera made the remarks on 27 April 2023 when he was presiding over the official closing ceremony of the 2-day 4th edition of Takulandirani Malawi International Tourism Expo 2023 which was held at Bingu International Convention Center ( BICC), Lilongwe.

The state President revealed that tourism contributed 6.7 percent of the Gross Domestic Product( GDP ) in 2022 which is promising to the economy and must continue and pick up the speed so that the percentage must rise .

He said that is taking measures to support the sector such as removal of Visa fees for tourists from 16 source markets, signing bilateral agreements with countries in the region such as Zambia , Zimbambwe , Kenya and South Africa to facilitate development and promotion motocyclic tour packages , improving of airports and tourism support infrastructure to attract international airlines, and engaging national airlines to explore the prospect of flying travels directly to Malawi from certain cities around the world.

The measures are support system to the implementation of the 20-year tourism investment master plan which the President launched in April 2022 aiming to ensure the tourism development and investment in the country build systematically and targeted.

Minister of tourism Vera Kamtukule said Malawi has faced many hiccups which have afflicted the economy of the country and the tourism sector citing covid 19 and cyclones being some of the hiccups but it is high time we start selling ourselves through tourism.
the tourism sector in designing services and products that cut fall the needs of Malawians as local tourists inorder to be successful in making tourism an economic productive.

“If we are to wait for the right season to plant then we are not going to sow our seeds despite Malawi facing the distrous cyclone Freddy which claimed lives of Malawians in the southern region and destroyed infrastructure it is time we source income to boost our economy and not waiting to be helped out,” she said.

The Takulandirani Malawi International Tourism Expo has been absent in the country for three years due to the global pandemic Corona virus from 2019- 2022.

First lady Madam Monica Chakwera and Vice president Saulos Claus Chilima, former vice president Khumbo Kachali, Minister of tourism Vera Kamtukure , Madalitso Kazombo first deputy speaker speaker of parliament, Miss Coreen Zamba secretary to the office of the President band Cabinet , Board chairperson of the tourism council Justin Zinkanchani, delegates from Tanzania , South Africa and Zimbabwe are some of the delegates who presided over the ceremony.