BEM-VINDO!
MICE and business tourism remain key segments within the industry, while the development of the leisure segment will rely on considerable investment.
People haven't given up completely on leisure tourism, but the timeframes have differed. Obviously, business tourism is more of a short- to mid-term investment and leisure tourism is a longer-term investment. With the opening of the Nacala Airport, we are going to be in a position to be able to compete with other global destinations. Obviously, we need the infrastructure, but I think the most important thing is to be able to compete with global destinations in terms of times of flights. Also, the opening of new airports and the bringing in of new airlines, which has been happening in the last few years, is also going to open up the. We depend a lot on Europe, but when Nacala Airport opens up, I believe Emirates is going to fly to Nacala. That opens up a huge market, so not only Europe, but also the Middle East and Far East. That is something that we need to maximize and exploit. We work with closely with INATUR in terms of marketing. The issue is that it is expensive to market Mozambique because the country is an expensive destination to reach.
We are promoting Mozambique as a destination in itself, rather than merely an add-on. Mozambique has enough to occupy the visitor for two to three weeks without adding it to a tour to Botswana, Namibia, or South Africa. Mozambique has so much to offer that is refreshingly different. Our safaris offer an excursion into Gorongosa National Park where the visitor will not see more than 20 other game vehicles, as the territory is wholly untouched, and therefore provides a new way of seeing Africa. Tanzania and Botswana are established destinations that we can never compete with, so instead we aim for the unique. We are looking to expand our offerings in beach and island areas, because people here on business occasionally stay for up to three weeks, and want to leave Maputo without having to deal with visas to Kruger National Park, or taking expensive flights north. There is enough to do around here over a weekend, and we are trying to develop these products and packages to cater to that potential.
Predominately the profile of an average tourist is business people looking for investment opportunities, then families who spend two to four weeks at the beach or island resorts, and adventure travelers. These visitors are generally between 28 to 50 years of age. Most of our visitors are budget orientated and self-catering, particularly South Africans, who visit Mozambique during holiday seasons. The country needs to be more introspective in assessing areas in which we are still lacking. As our leisure tourism is too seasonal, and as we have great potential we look to develop domestic tourism. Often some hotels and resorts shut down in between these periods. Mozambicans could visit during low season, but this requires strong tour operators with a large capacity, without which it is difficult to offer lower prices even in the low season. If you empower the tour operators to have this capacity beyond the high season, it would make sense for them to direct their bus fleets to promote domestic tourism excursions.
Tourism remains expensive and we lack the competition among multiple airlines required to handle domestic flights. Most events in Maputo are conferences, meetings, and business tourism, which is why hotels are at 95% capacity booking. Thus, while we do have considerable potential for leisure tourism, the MICE and business travel segments currently dominate the sector. The government must take up the challenge of promoting the image of the country, and we will certainly assist with whatever steps are considered necessary. Mostly though, we need to invest in infrastructure, roads, and health issues, without which investors are reluctant to make a commitment. Normally, tour operators in Mozambique do not have more than six or seven employees, but we have 30 people working at our current head office alone, and furthermore in our other offices. We are also finalizing our new premises in the city's premium destination, Kenneth Kaunda Avenue. Currently, the quality of human resources in Mozambique's hospitality industry is lacking. We have to invest heavily in training to address these problems.
BEM-VINDO!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Interview
His Excellency Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President, Republic of Mozambique
TBY talks to His Excellency Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, President of the Republic of Mozambique, on building a government, the recent historic gas discoveries, and supporting the traditional sectors of the economy.
read articleInterview
Lourenço Sambo, Director General, Investment Promotion Centre (CPI)
TBY talks to Lourenço Sambo, Director General of the Investment Promotion Centre (CPI), on creating services for foreign companies, key projects under development across the nation, and the ever-improving business environment.
read articleFocus: SMEs
All for SME?
The International Growth Center (ICG) in 2012 concluded that the domestic construction sector, which predominantly consists of SMEs, had been unable to break into the formal market dominated by foreign players. Nevertheless, the overall situation has improved in recent years.
read articleFocus: ROVUMA LNG PROJECT
Offshore, Onstream
The discovery of vast amounts of fuel reserves in Mozambique is a potential game changer for the country's current itinerary. There is no doubt that the government of Filipe Nyusi has a unique opportunity to transform Mozambique into one of the most significant African economies.
read articleReview: Media
More Messengers
A pan-African initiative has taken root to encourage the development of an indigenous media industry that presents constituent nations as they are, and in their own voice. Its far-reaching objectives champion journalistic integrity and freely expressed opinion.
read articleInterview
Aníbal Leite, President, Mota-Engil África Moçambique
TBY talks to Aníbal Leite, President of Mota-Engil África Moçambique, and Mozambique Country Manager of Mota-Engil Engenharia e Construção África, on the company's projects across the country and nurturing competitive advantages.
read articleReview: Agriculture
A Fertile Plan
Mozambique has only cultivated 10% of its total arable land, whereby many now see the potential of finding a solution to food security issues in southern Africa. The country's geographical location makes it ideal as an agricultural hub for the region and beyond.
read articleInterview
João Leopoldo da Costa, Rector, Instituto Superior de Ciências e Tecnologia de Moçambique (ISCTEM)
TBY talks to João Leopoldo da Costa, Rector of the Instituto Superior de Ciências e Tecnologia de Moçambique (ISCTEM), on creating links for work experience, the socioeconomic development of the country, and the development of new courses.
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