Chakwera administration embarks on serious Tourism drive

By Kondanani Chilimunthaka

The State Of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered in Parliament on Friday 9th February 2024 by President Lazarus Chakwera when he was opening 2024/2025 budget meeting has revealed that government has emberked on a serious Tourism investment drive which is one element in the ATM strategy earmarked for socioeconomic growth of Malawi.

Having hinted on Agriculture and Mining, President Chakwera said his administration is geared to resustain the Tourism sector through a number of ways.

“I am pleased to report that not only have we increased the number of airlines traveling to Malawi and are in the process of designing a Malawi Flight Plan for increased access, but we have also concluded three Bilateral Air Service Agreements with Mozambique, Uganda, and Kuwait to introduce direct Flight to Malawi, while talks with the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mauritious, and Nigeria to do the same are in process.

Even more exciting is the fact that just this week, my administration has gazetted the Visa waiver program I announced here last year, exempting travellers from 79 countries and territories from paying Visa fees” Said President Chakwera while describing it as progress the country will build on to keep the country’s recovery going..

The President added that he is expecting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to use the Visa waiver to begin negotiating with such countries and territories for more friendly Visa terms for Malawians traveling there as a way of increasing access to international markets for wealth creation.

In the SONA, Chakwera disclosed that government has acquired a 52.7 hectares of beach land in T/A Maganga for construction of a modern Salima Intergrated Hotel and Resort.