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Tapping the Tourism Potential of Mozambique

30 June 2005

Pemba Bay
Pemba Bay is one of Mozambique's top tourist attractions.
Mozambique's Tourism Marketing Strategic Plan and Human Resources Development Plan were launched in Pemba, Mozambique, on 28 June 2005. The aim of these five-year plans supported by the Commonwealth Secretariat is to promote the country's tourism sector and its human resources to support the industry. This includes the modernisation of tourism facilities and guidelines for private sector investment in tourism for sustainable development.

George Saibel, Director of the Special Advisory Services Division of the Secretariat, said Mozambique can further develop its beach tourism and game park sectors.

"Mozambique as a tourist destination has huge possibilities, which are already being explored and which makes the country poised for exciting developments since the Mozambique tourism product remains largely underdeveloped.

"We hope the Secretariat's efforts will help to improve the capacity of the Government of Mozambique and the Ministry of Tourism to market Mozambique as a tourism destination. The strategic plan will also enhance the service delivery and productivity of Mozambique's tourism workforce. This will enable Mozambique to market and position itself to lead the region in the development of sustainable and competitive tourism. With the high level of political commitment and enthusiasm shown by policy-makers to place Mozambique squarely on the tourism map, this backing can help deliver socio-economic benefits to the people."

To tap the lucrative market opportunities the tourism industry can offer, Mr Saibel stated that there is a need for Mozambique to build its human resource capacity in the tourism sector. "The needs of tourism require that high service standards be developed and maintained in a highly competitive global environment. To achieve this, Mozambique would need to implement tourism education and training systems which are structured around the concepts of quality and efficiency."

He pointed out that the 53 countries of the Commonwealth together account for one-seventh of international tourist movement and receipts; and that the World Tourism Organisation believes that the prospects for tourism within the Commonwealth are good, with an annual growth rate of 4 per cent.

Citing the Johannesburg International Airport as an example of a tourism hub that is used to enhance travel connections to Mozambique, Mr Saibel noted that there are possibilities to deepen co-operative arrangements between Mozambique and South Africa to increase the 700,000 visitor arrivals to Mozambique in 2003. More than 40 per cent of the visitor arrivals are from South Africa.

 

CNIS - the Commonwealth News and Information Service Issue 241, 29 June 2005

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