Africa-Press – Mozambique. Mozambique expects to once again reach one million tourists by the end of the year, helping the country establish itself as a global “benchmark destination,” said National Tourism Director Claire Zimba today.
“We are optimistic that, based on what we are seeing in the market—and as you have been reporting—we may come very close to reaching one million tourists, or even slightly surpass that number,” said Claire Zimba at a press conference in Maputo to present the program for World Tourism Day, which falls on September 27.
Mozambique recorded a drop in tourist arrivals last year to 1.098 million, compared to 1.15 million in 2023. This decline is attributed to the violence that followed the general elections on October 9 and affected the country until last March.
Zimba added that Mozambique aims this year to consolidate its status as “a benchmark destination in the world and the region,” highlighting the role of international promotion and infrastructure investments in attracting more visitors.
The president of the Mozambican Tourism Federation (FEMOTUR), Vasco Manhiça, emphasized that the sector’s recovery also depends on access to financing.
“We are currently in a recovery phase. Naturally, to provide these funds, banks need to be confident that beneficiaries will be able to repay within the agreed timeframe,” said the FEMOTUR president.
Tourism authorities and operators believe that increased credit to the sector, combined with stability and the promotion of the country as a safe destination, will enable Mozambique to relaunch tourism as a strategic driver of the economy.
On September 18, the Government of Mozambique launched a digital platform to train national tour operators in English, aiming to reach more than five million agents by 2030.
The tourism sector has made a positive contribution to the Mozambican economy, with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 2.46% in 2021, rising to 4.02% in 2023, according to government data.
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