Beautiful Mulanje Mountain and Lake Malawi, hot tourism attractions
* As he opens Takulandilani Malawi International Tourism Expo 2025 that took place at Bingu International Convention Centre
* Decision by tourists to come to Malawi is always a right choice because the country has unique people who are warm hearted
* People of empathy and humane, people of good relations and network as well as people who promote good hospitality
By Prisca Promise Mashushu, MANA
In wooing tourists to sample the Warm Heart of Africa, Malawi, in their choice for a tourism destination, President Lazarus Chakwera impresses that Malawi is endowed with many unique tourism attraction features, which includes wildlife in different national parks and Lake Malawi, “which has unique species of fish that are found only here in Malawi”.
He this on Wednesday at Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe when he officially opened Takulandilani Malawi International Tourism Expo 2025 being celebrated under the theme; ‘Solidifying the gains-Everything, Everyone Tourism’ — adding that tourism exposure to the outside world will play a crucial role in boosting the agriculture, tourism and mining (ATM) strategy that is in line with the MW2063 national strategy.
The President added that Malawi boasts of mountains that, if properly exposed to the outside world, can bring foreign exchange and boost the economy.
“Decision by tourists to come to Malawi is always a right choice because the country has unique people who are warm hearted; people who are warm hearted; people of empathy and humane; people of good relations and network as well as people who promote good hospitality and respect to elders who keep culture and diversity that is seen in cultural dances.”
Chakwera further said the presence of tourists at the launch of the expo will help in international relations, attract foreign exchange and boost business activities — thereby promoting agriculture, tourism and mining.
He said this opportunity will also help to transform the tourism sector by exposing different resources which includes minerals, cultural dances and foods that are unique.
On her part, Minister of Tourism, Vera Kamtukule they her Ministry has raised a profile of tourism not only in Malawi but also across the world.
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“This launch will provide business people with a platform to be exposed to other countries, thereby boosting several sectors including the energy, water, health and tourism itself as we are selling our resources to other countries,” she said.
The three-day exhibition has attracted tourism players from Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, among others.
It mainly aims to market Malawi’s tourism industry, as one of the country’s three key sectors, others being agriculture and mining.
However, Chifipa Mhango, Chief Economist for South Africa-based Don Consultancy Group (DCG), opined in February this year that Malawi is not doing enough in its vigorous marketing if her tourism industry.
He advised that there is need to take a new approach by extending its value proposition offering that should include five segments of tourism, namely; business, sports, health and education — not just holiday tourism.
What provoked Chifipa to offer his thoughts was after stumbling across the picture (below) that was posted on a Facebook site, talking about the beauty of Lake Malawi.
“I was interested in the comments, he said. We have a huge task ahead of us to change the image of our country in the area of infrastructure. As long as our thinking remains narrow minded, and limited to Malawi conditions, where we normalise substandard and poverty, our country will not achieve much.
“No matter how we promote Lake Malawi as ‘beautiful’, it will not take the country anywhere as long as that ‘beautiful’ is not complimented with the right infrastructure around it — it’s the same as riding a dead horse.
“In real world, money follows ideas. Most investments are driven by ideas first, then people come with money to invest in those ideas — this is how Dubai was developed.
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“However, our culture is engulfed in thinking money first. Let’s take a new approach towards tourism, is my humble call for Malawi. Let’s build modern infrastructure such roads, hospitals, hotels, recreation facilities, in education campuses etc.”
The Chief Economist added that in advanced countries, including his hosts, South Africa, planned their tourism marketing and infrastructure around the five segments of tourism of business, sports, health, education.
Mhango, who is also Director of Economic Affairs for Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) further says: “One of the things that has always been on my mind has been, what effort and thinking informs Party Manifestos in Malawi? To those assigned such responsibilities, how do they apply their mind on issues?
Revered Chief Economist Chifipa Mhango
“How different are Manifestos across political parties? When one talks of tourism, for instance, what comes to their mind? When the country is promoting tourism, what strategies have they applied and what informed such strategy?
“Is there clear data to validate the strategy? How updated is the data? Here are my thoughts — countries that have planners that think beyond their time, think 20 years ahead.
“That means the current process is about laying the foundation for development towards achieving that goal. When one talks of tourism, and you define it on holiday makers — and design policies and infrastructure that suits that — then one is living in a different planet, or excluded country on development.
He added that this is not the first time he has made an analysis on how tourism should be modeled, giving an example that some two years ago, he wrote a press release which was re-published in the media last September in which he continues to advocate for a new way of thinking around tourism in Malawi.
The First Couple and Kamtukule listening to a presentation at one of the pavilions.—Pictures at the Expo by Patricia Kapulula, MANA
He expressed his satisfaction that President Chakwera borrowed a leaf from the concept is been advocating, saying he was aware his three-pager article reached his office.
“In it, I stated that tourism goes beyond holiday makers. Above all currently, our data says our largest tourists into Malawi are Mozambicans at 37% — can we develop like that?”
Mhango gave an example of his host country, South Africa that plan its tourism marketing and infrastructure around the five segments of holiday, business, sports, education and health.
Hartbeespoort City in South Africa was developed around a dam
“One thing to remember is that holiday tourism is seasonal, that is December as peak season. The other segments of tourism are throughout the year. However, key to the other segments is infrastructure.
“Countries like South Africa get more educational tourists, business tourists, health tourists than holiday tourists. This is because the country has supported this process with related infrastructure such as more universities, more educational institutions in high school or colleges, etc.
“In health tourism, the country embarked on an investment drive towards medical facilities combined with more doctor training. The development of health system also took a private public partnership.
“If you move around South Africa, literally every suburb has its own private hospital. Housing developments like estates are now surrounded with modern facilities health premises — that is the attraction to health tourism in South Africa.
“In sports, the country is always bidding for international tournaments — be it regional or global because of the supporting infrastructure. Currently, South Africa is bidding for Formula 1 car race, which is expected to be hosted at the Kyalami Race Course.
“If we change our approach and think differently and plan ahead of our times in implementing ideas, the so called ‘beautiful Lake Malawi’ will indeed be beautiful with the right infrastructure around it.”—Additional reporting on Chifipa Mhango by Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express
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