Our Tourism Joke

Take it or leave it. Our tourism industry needs a big revamp and a change in strategy. That we are reliant on subsistence Agriculture needs no mention and we have to remind ourselves that it has often let us down.

Our gurus in the industry have always belived that tourism is getting some Jack and Jean from Europe to a resort in Mangochi. What else does one see there. Basi munthu wachoka ku England to sleep at Nkopola or Boadzulu! Zatha...nanga awonatso chani? Azimayi ndi anyamata ogulitsa nsomba outside the hotel.

The Kenyan potical crisis opened some insights about the importance of the multi-million dollar industry that toursim is. What do those guys go to see in Kenya? I dont think they are into sleeping in a hotel and catch a palne back to Europe. This is our version of tourism. Tourists flock to Kenyas Masai Park or even the Serengeti, Kilimanjaro in TZ to see the animals. The same applies to Kruger in national park in South Africa and Mfuwe in Eastern Zambia. Belive you me that all these places are easily accessible by road either in rain or dry seasons. Actually Kenya has two rain seasons!

Now turn to Malawi: No tarmac road to Nyika, Vwaza, Liwonde, Majete, Lengwe, Mwabvi, Lake Malawi National parks. These are the places that attract tourists and not some hotel that offers nothing but a good sleep and reminds the traveller of Europe. Somehow we belive in the wrong things. We let people from most European countries enter Malawi without VISAs in the name of attracting tourists! But they dont come, they go to Kenya where they pay for their VISAs. This is another case of misplaced strategies of developing the industry.

If one were to check official statistics, of people who cross our borders every year something funny strikes my mind. Actually most of the people who come to Malawi are Mozambicans involved in the kachewere business at Lizulu and assocaited trading centres along the M1 road in Ntcheu and Dedza.

If the infrastructure to these places remains underdeveloped, we can continue singing toursim blues. BUT THE POTENTAIL IS THERE!