Malawi needs to take a new approach towards marketing her tourism industry by extending its value proposition offering

* By including five segments of tourism of business, sports, health and education — not just holiday tourism

* Tourism goes beyond holiday makers. Above all currently, our data says our largest tourists into Malawi are Mozambicans at 37%

By Duncan Mlanjira

For Malawi to vigorously market its tourism industry, 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.

This is an observation from Chifipa Mhango, Chief Economist for South Africa-based Don Consultancy Group (DCG), who has been prompted to provoke these thoughts 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 — 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.

“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?

“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.

“Two years ago, I wrote a press release which was re-published in the media last year, September 2024 in which I continue to advocate for a new way of thinking around tourism in Malawi. 

“Strangely enough, the current President [Lazarus Chakwera] then borrowed a leaf from the concept I have been advocating, as my 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.

“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.

“I am also informed that Rwanda is bidding for the same Formula 1 for 2027-28. What has informed these countries to bid for such highly marketed car race event is the infrastructure they have developed. 

“Now, I want to bring to your attention that Formula 1 is not a small thing. It attracts so many people into your country. Such is also how countries with high standard golf courses attract sports tourists, the famous being the annual Nedbank Golf Challenge of the last weekend of November at Sun City.

“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.”