Mozambican tourism fights for revival

Mozambican tourism and its hotel sector have had to adopt new strategies to address falling demand due to fears of political instability, as well as a lack of infrastructure, limited access and lack of marketing. Hotel occupancy rates across the country are currently around 30%.

According to Nadira Khan, sales manager for Melia Maputo Sky, a corporate hotel located in the Central C business district of Maputo, Melia is one of the many hotels experiencing a lack of demand not only in their largest market, the South African corporate market, but also in other international markets.

During the 10th FIKANI International Tourism Fair in Maputo, it was revealed that South Africa is the main country of origin for incoming tourists, accounting for 33.5% of all arrivals, followed by Portugal with 10.3%, the UK and the US with 6.2% each.

“ We are not seeing an increase in demand for MICE properties and hotels because we have an election this year and that is causing little damage to the market. Although we had some growth, it was not as much as we expected,” Khan said.

“Demand is low and we are competing with other hotels. We have several nearby five star hotels that charge the same prices as three star hotels. Melia had to create packages with meeting rooms and accommodation to try to attract clients."

Khan said much of Melia's corporate traffic, which usually peaked between September and November, had rescheduled its corporate events for August and September to avoid a post-election environment. Elections are scheduled for October 9.

However, Khan continued to tell Travel News that, regardless of the elections, the Mozambican hotel and tourism industry faced a different set of challenges. It is still experiencing growth difficulties due to lack of infrastructure, resources and marketing.

Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi said on August 8 in his opening speech at FIKANI that the country has secured about US$940 million in investment to develop the tourism industry in 2023, including the development of the hospitality industry.

Khan said the government has not invested in developing basic infrastructure to boost tourism, such as good access roads, water pipes and lines power transmission, or in marketing the country and its destinations to attract more visitors.

Vasco Manhisa, director of the Mozambican Hotel and Tourism Federation, acknowledged that the hotel and tourism industries have faced difficulties due to the pandemic, lack of basic infrastructure, lack of international presence and lack of access.

“The biggest challenge for tourism in Mozambique has been the recovery from the pandemic. Pre-COVID, the average hotel occupancy rate was 50%. Now the slow recovery means occupancy has only recovered to around 30%,” he said.

And, as Manhisa explained, the lack of demand has led to sky-high airfare prices, exacerbating the lack of access to space destinations.

“Affordable air travel can significantly increase the number of tourist arrivals, making it easier for both local and international tourists to visit Mozambique. Lower airfares will encourage more frequent travel, especially from neighboring countries and within the region,” Manhisa said.

Both Manhisa and Khan believe the key to increasing occupancy and attracting more travelers is marketing. Investment in building a country's image and showcasing its natural and cultural attractions can be key to improving the tourism industry as a whole. Using digital marketing and social media can diversify the audience and the country can promote more cultural events and activity packages, such as the Melia MICE packages described above, to attract more tourists and speed up tourism recovery.

“ From a marketing perspective, we want to implement effective campaigns at the national, regional and international levels, highlighting the cultural and natural diversity of Mozambique,” said Manhisa.

Source: travelnews.co.za