The Mozambican government was dissatisfied with the revenue that has been generated thus far by the tourism sector, Prime Minister Carlos Agostinho do Rosario said on December 4.
Speaking during the launch of the country’s first Tourism Forum in Maputo, Rosario said the revenue should be significantly higher, considering the country’s diverse tourism potential.
Tourism currently accounts for about 2.5% of Mozambique’s GDP and employs 61 000 workers, reported allafrica.
The figures were regarded as relatively low by Rosario, who has challenged the tourism industry to show greater commitment to this sector. He encouraged the industry to create more appealing packages, especially for Mozambican citizens.
He said the Mozambican government had been working to create a more favourable environment for investment and, as a result, Mozambique had jumped up eight places in the World Economic Forum’s competitiveness index in travel and tourism, meaning the country had gone from 130 in 2015 to 122 this year, out of a total of 141 countries that were assessed.
The Tourism Forum is a new initiative of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and forms part of the government’s plan to make Mozambique a world-class tourism destination.
