By Kingsley Jassi:
The Ministry of Tourism is struggling to get an investor to develop one of the strategic projects in the sector, the $24 million Golden Sands Resort in Mangochi, The Business Times understands.
The project site falls within the Unesco-certified Lake Malawi National Park, the world’s only marine-based national park, and can only have development with very minimal disturbances to the ecosystem, according to the ministry.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Joseph Nkosi, confirmed in a written response that there had been no headway on negotiations with potential investors.
“The primary challenge for this project is that the site is located within a Unesco World Heritage National Park.
“Consequently, all development plans must strictly adhere to the Unesco World Heritage Committee’s guidelines. While there’s significant interest from potential investors, the ministry is committed to balancing the need for development with the preservation of this unique site and its rich history,” Nkosi said.
The ministry says there have been a number of investors interested in the project but that they have not been successful due to development conditions.
However, the Golden Sands Resort appears in the latest project compendium by the Public Private Partnerships Commission (PPPC), envisaging it to be a 4-to-5-star eco-lodge with a capacity of between 40 and 60 rooms and a 100-seater conference facility.
“The infrastructure will require green and climate controlling facilities. The development should aim to ensure that the eco-lodge is well integrated within the surrounding lake environment.
“The facilities should be based on an understanding of the eco-lodge context and should employ a lot of creativity and innovation based on eco-tourism and sustainable infrastructure design,” the PPPC compendium reads.
0 Comments