By Pemphero Malimba:
Tourism Minister Vera Kamtukule has urged stakeholders in the tourism industry to plan for any potential impact that may arise following the suspension of United States Agency for International Development (USaid)- funded programmes in the country.
Kamtukule made this statement Monday when opening the Malawi Tourism and Hospitality Capacity Building training in Lilongwe.
A 90-day pause on foreign aid has been implemented by the US government to allow for a review of its efficiency and alignment with the foreign policy of President Donald Trump, who was recently elected to the position.
Kamtukule said that tourism industry players need to plan for how to address the impact of this move on the sector.
“What are we doing about that? Have we considered how this will affect tourism? How are we positioning ourselves to stand against it? These are the conversations we need to have, so that when the impact comes, we should be able to counter it,” she said.
She also challenged tourism industry players to ensure quality in the services they provide.
African Tourism Board Executive Chairman Cuthbert Simphiwe Ncube said that there is a need to change the current narrative surrounding tourism in Africa.
“We think tourism is about white-collar work, but we need to change that perception. We should start to say, ‘Wow, our brothers and sisters, we can even start appreciating the tourism industry domestically or regionally,’” Ncube said.
He added that the tourism industry is crucial to the economic growth of both Malawi and the continent as a whole.
On his part, Malawi Tourism Council Chairperson Justin Dzinkambani stressed that embracing local and continental tourism is crucial to minimising the impact of the possible withdrawal of USaid staff from Malawi.
“We should treat this as a disaster, and we need to start working on strategies that can help the tourism sector. For me, I see local tourism as one of the sectors to focus on and at the same time, the African Tourism global partnership is a key component,” Dzinkambani said.
One of the participants, Dedza Pottery General Manager Chifuno Stevens, said she expected to learn a great deal through the training. The training, which has attracted industry players from Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, South Africa and other countries, runs from Monday to Wednesday.
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