Tourism

The Republic of Mozambique, better known as Mozambique, is a country in southeast Africa. Mozambique is bordered by Tanzania at the north side, the Indian Ocean on the east side, South Africa and Swaziland on the southwest side, Zimbabwe on the west, and Malawi and Zambia on the northwest side.

Colonized by Portugal in 1505, Mozambique became independent in 1975, and became Peoples Republic of Mozambique shortly thereafter. Mozambique is divided into ten provinces and the provinces are subdivided into 129 districts.

Mozambiques size is slightly less than double the size of California, with an area of 308,642 sq. miles. The capital is Maputo. The general terrain varies, from lowlands to much higher plateaus, and the climate is considered tropical to subtropical.

The capital, Maputo, is the largest city in Mozambique, and is completely separate from the Maputo Province.

Mozambique  Description and LocationMozambique, sealed off from the world during the boom years for international holiday resorts, is one of the last travel frontiers.  With the coastline beaches, available for swimming and snorkeling, and an atmosphere that invites visitors that enjoy wildlife, outdoors, and leisure vacations, investors saw the potential for Mozambiques success. However, between the horrendous internal problems and the worldly demands of an independent state, the tourism industry is not finding it an easy task, to develop this vast oasis. (Hill, Heather.52-3). Even though tourism is one of Mozambiques most profitable industries, the 1978 civil war, in Mozambique, halted all tourism development. After 16 years of internal combat ended, the economically devastated country once again looked toward developing their economy. The country was focused on recovery, and hoped that the past success Mozambique had, with tourism, would carry forward to repair and develop their country.

Immediately, hotel chains, businesses, and investors were fascinated by Mozambiques potential for luxury hotels and resorts however, there were obstacles that the modern world had not realized. The area was remote and lacked the modern roads, utilities, and airports, to build hotels and bring customers, never mind maintain them.  If it were easier, Mozambique would attract more investors. An additional inhibitor was the structure of their government, after the crisis. The investors needed cooperation and a realization that the Mozambique government wanted tourism to be developed. Unfortunately, the governments fragile status was not able to make immediate decisions, for the development of the tourism industry, and Mozambiques
economy suffered because delays and unnecessary red tape paralyzed investors. Two-thirds of all materials needed to build hotels had to be imported, and there were additional costs of custom fees, that brought costs from 80 percent to 110 percent, and every negotiation ended in more demands from the government.

Mozambique  Potential for Tourism
The peak tourism season for Mozambique runs from early December to mid-January, when large numbers of South Africans head for the beaches and islands of southern Mozambique. They are joined by an increasing number of Europeans, escaping from the northern hemisphere winter. The unquestionable beauty and natural wonder of Mozambique drew the attention of tour agents, as it was viewed as a fascinating, passionate region, with a culture completely different from Europe or America. The facts remained, however, that there were few hotels already established, and many of the small hotels that were established had been homesteaded by returning refugee citizens, and the government was hesitant to evict its own citizens for foreign tourism.

It took time for the Mozambique government to realize the only way their economy was going to begin recovery was to cooperate with the investors. The tourist industry would put their people to work, as employees in the hotels, and increase money brought into the country. One of the most important governmental changes made is a bilateral agreement by Mozambique and South Africa to allow free travel, with stays up to 30 days, between the two countries, without a visa requirement. The additional freedom gave a huge boost to Mozambiques tourism, causing the governments own projections see this number growing to four million visitors a year by 2025. The incredible growth in visitor numbers being anticipated is due to a number of legislative reforms including the approval of a new tourism code, investor-friendly regulations for the sector, and an initial strategic tourism development plan to be implemented over the next seven years.

Mozambique  Future Tourism and Investment An estimated 40 million was invested in tourism in Mozambique in 2001, while the government continues to own title to land, and 50-year leases, renewable for another 50 years, are readily provided to investors. New foreign investment encouraged a rise in tourism, bringing tourists, mostly from outside of Africa. Foreign investment encourages tourism to Mozambique however, the big problem that remains is the lack of infrastructure, lack of communication, and advertising. Nonetheless, there are vast areas in Mozambique available to investors, who have brought 60 million into the country in the last six months of 2002. There is no discrimination of investors Mozambique is seeking sustainability, so the focus is on low density, high-yield tourism.

Mozambique  Summary of Statistics Since the return of peace and economic stability, Mozambiques tourism sector has expanded strongly. (Mozambique Tourism. 2008). This massive increase in revenue was largely due to the revitalization and modernization of the existing national parks and reserves and improvement of business environment that has attracted foreign investment in the tourism sector. (Country Earns U.S.190 Million From Tourism. 2009). The largest single investor in tourism in the country is the Dubai-based Rani Resorts, while other big investors include Portuguese group Pestana, a family-owned group, and the Visa Beira hotel group. Rani Resorts has invested over 90-million in the country thus far, with another 50-million earmarked for the short to medium term, said Rene Breuer, sales and marketing director of the group. (Sunny Land of Sand And Sea. 2006).

Significant statistics show how Mozambiques tourist industry has developed, within the last several years, and which areas contributed to economic security.                      

It is significant to note that, even though investments and tourists increased steadily, after the Mozambique civil war, the worlds current economic dilemma has affected tourism in Mozambique. Investment dollars and tourists, visiting Mozambique, have decreased, and annual growth, of the tourism industry, has not increased as rapidly as originally forecast. This unfortunate situation is expected to change, however, as the world economy recovers, and investors and tourists are able to spend their money more freely.

Mozambique   Ecotourism
Ecotourism is a particular focus of the government now. Enthusiasts of ecotourism pursuits, such as diving and bird watching, can look forward to an untapped, unspoiled and unmarketed heritage. International conservation groups, like the World Wildlife Fund, also have taken an active role in Mozambique, and promise to help preserve the countrys unique resources of flora and fauna.

Ecotourism is a main hub for Mozambiques economic growth and a particular focus for the government for future prosperity. The countrys rich, untouched areas that are inhabited with natural wildlife, invite tourists, to experience something that is simply not available in their own countries, and yet is still relatively affordable. The public-private partnerships are enabling restoration of many projects, and wildlife is thriving. There are both marine and desert safaris and tours that are quickly becoming a popular attraction to the new generations, as they search for environments unlike their own.

With 2,500 kilometers of virgin coast and extensive coral reefs, Mozambique offers divers a chance to enjoy close encounters with rare fish, like the zebra moray as well as sharks, stingrays and eels. Tourists can rent boats or fly to beaches for snorkeling or surfing. Mozambique has a great competitive advantage in that it can offer both game parks and seaside holidays - and all of it is unexplored and unspoiled.  And on the same day, a tourist can go diving and then see the Big Five wild animals lions, leopards, rhinos, buffalo and elephants. The Elephant Coast, a large national reserve, is just south of Maputo.

Where the cities in Mozambique have a leisure atmosphere, with hotels and restaurants, a majority of the ecotourism areas have a more camp-like setting, because of their location to the wildlife. The authentic environment offers visitors a truly unforgettable experience. The government has already turned many of the natural areas into national parks, supported by donations and investments from other countries, and follow strict regulations. The government and tourism industry can see the value of the untouched plains and rich beaches, and intend to keep them in the condition that would be most valuable to the industry of tourism.VII. Mozambique  Summary and Suggestions The overall status of Mozambiques tourism industry can be summed up in one word Underdeveloped. The infrastructure within the country is still very limited, and growth and redevelopment will take time. Although the wildlife parks are being rehabilitated, Mozambique has a long way to go before it can supply the hotel rooms and luxury resorts that would enable their economy to stabilize.

There is only so much the country can do, in a certain amount of time, however, and investors are contributing to fund issues for modernization. In all areas (accommodation, transportation, excursions and activities, and providing food to the tourists), Mozambiques development has been slow, mainly due to its location and problems that investors have had, dealing with the government.

Tourism has provided Mozambiques citizens with a new source of employment. With further growth of tourism, within the country, many poverty-stricken areas could cultivate a better way of life. Many of Mozambiques citizens will find employment in the new developments, as tourism is quickly becoming Mozambiques industry to combat poverty.

Recommendations and realizations for future tourism in Mozambique are purely speculative, depending on the ability to transport supplies to their location. Clearly, there needs to be more quality hotels and restaurants, to attract tourists not drawn to the wildlife and parks. There is a need for adequate training for management of the new facilities, as well. Future forecasts of tourism in Mozambique will depend on how quickly the world economy situation recovers, and how much more money investors are willing to contribute, even though progress has grown steadily over the last several years.

Mozambique has a long way to go, before it reaches a status as an international destination for the world. The palm tree covered beaches and warm weather draw nearby neighbors, for their vacations, however for others, just getting to Mozambique is an obstacle that must be updated, and that will take more time and money to update their infrastructures. Since the government has developed a more positive attitude toward tourism, within Mozambique, their cooperation will greatly enhance the ease of moving forward.

As a stakeholder, in any aspect of developing, Mozambique will need to micro-develop each area of concern (for example, each hotel, each restaurant, each citys roadways, more airports), to improve the countrys existing assets. This will take money, and it will take time, although it is not an impossible task. The new developments will also need to function as an efficient group or team, to support Mozambiques goals. The more cooperation and support each development offers will be an advantage against their competitors. In addition, specialists should be brought to developments, because Mozambiques availability of specialists, in various areas, is limited. Any area of focus should be considered as how the change affects Mozambiques goals, for example, more hotels will allow more employees to be hired from local areas. In this way, the government will see the specific developments as favorable.

What needs to happen, in Mozambique, is a partnership between stakeholders (investors, organizations, and other countries), working closely with the government and its population. There must be an agreement of what should be done, to improve the tourism industry, in Mozambique. The overall goal of the Mozambique government is to reduce poverty and provide a better life for its people.  The government now understands that their goals can be achieved with the development of the tourism industry. With the governments attitude changing, the agreement to move forward will happen. With Mozambiques changes in attitude and views, the tourist industry could be the vehicle that allows this country to reach economic goals, which were previously unattainable, while the country was in civil war and government unrest. Ultimately, growth will require the involvement and cooperation of everyone, to encourage investors to support the growth and development of Mozambique tourism, centered around its own cities, natural assets of beach resorts, wildlife reservations, and national parks.