Malawi is actively prospecting for investment in tourism-related projects in an effort to increase visitor numbers by rolling out engaging activities at tourism sites.
Speaking at the Malawi Investment Forum in Johannesburg on May 24, Malawi’s State President, Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, introduced multiple investment opportunities in tourism in the country known as ‘the warm heart of Africa’, and one that boasts extraordinary natural beauty, from Lake Malawi to the peaks of Mount Mulanje.
Although the tourism industry faced challenges due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, international tourism attendance grew by 117%, from 198 000 tourists in 2020 to 433 000 in 2021.
As tourism in the country grew, the government established a 20-year Tourism Investment Masterplan, where all the tourism projects are developed as integrated resorts with mixed-use facilities and services – a result of a lack of activities at tourism sites to entertain and engage guests.
The Masterplan focuses on five key products to market the country: Lake Malawi, nature and wildlife, local people and culture, the hosting of more meetings, conventions and events, and incentives.
It will help tourism facilitators by describing amendments to policies and guidelines to give local businesses goals to create tourism in certain areas, with a focus on generating revenue and an appreciation of local culture and knowledge.
Three key tourism investment opportunities include:
*The Salima Integrated Lakeshore Resort, an existing popular weekend retreat and conference venue on the shores of Lake Malawi. The investment project will include the construction of a 100-room resort hotel, a housing estate, a 1000-seat conference centre, sports complex, shopping complex, entertainment centre, casino, golf course, casino and an underground aquarium. The government of Malawi has already acquired the 17-hectare site with 700m of beachfront on the lake. The development is expected to generate 3 500 job opportunities.
*The Mount Mulanje Cable Way and Ecotourism Project is based on the highest mountain in central Africa, at 3 000m above sea level. The Mulanje Mountain Forest Reserve contains up to 500 different species of unique fauna and flora, and the biosphere is included in the Unesco World Heritage Site tentative list. The reserve also contains Africa’s longest rock climb on Chambe Peak, stretching over 1,7km. Another attraction is the tea plantations with tea-tasting tours. The investment project will include construction of a new cable car and information centre, a cafeteria or restaurant that will seat 60 people, an interpretation centre, a 40- to 60-bed mountain inn, a health spa and wellness centre and a 16-room eco-lodge.
The Integrated Waterfront Development project in Nkhatabay focuses on developing the port into a waterfront destination. The town acts as a gateway to the Likoma and Chizumulu Islands in Lake Malawi, with the Ilala Lake Ferry stopping at its port weekly. The town has a craft market, a dive school, Chikale beach and rubber and cassava plantations. The investment project aims to upgrade the port and jetty to include tourist facilities such as curio shops, public toilets and a 40-seat cafeteria, construct a commercial bay with a promenade, marina and parking lot, and build a 20-room boutique hotel, 10-bed Ecolodge and an Ecotourism training facility in Chilunfu Point.
The remaining prioritised investment opportunities include the Transit Facility Songwe Border Post in Karonga, the Livingstonia Mid-Market Resort in Nyika National Park in Rumphi, the Lilongwe River Walk for the Lingadzi Ecological Corridor System, the Nkhotakota Tourism Resort and Houseboat Harbour in Nkhotakota and the Shire River Waterfront development in Liwonde.
