Movement of tourists increases by 254 percent

Maputo, 06 Nov (AIM) – The Mozambican President Daniel Chapo has revealed that the movement of tourists and investors arriving in the country increased by 254 percent this year, when compared to the same period in 2025.

According to Chapo, speaking at the opening of the second edition of the Mozambique Tourism Summit, in Vilankulo, southern province of Inhambane, the growth is the result of reforms introduced to boost the tourism sector.

“The results stem from measures introduced in recent months to facilitate the entry of visitors and attract investment, including the implementation of an electronic visa platform and the creation of the so-called “Visa Gold”, designed to attract foreign investors”, he said.

The President highlighted the creation of the National Agency for Tourism Development and Investment (Anditur), which replaced the former National Tourism Institute (Inatur), as well as the Southern Corridor Special Tourism Economic Zone, which incorporates the destinations of Vilankulo, Pomene and Inhassoro, all in Inhambane province.

Daniel Chapo argued that the focus on tourism is particularly important at a time when the country was seeking to reduce its dependence on mineral and energy resources. “Gas will one day run out. Coal will run out. Graphite will run out. Heavy sands will run out. But as long as Mozambique remains here, bordered by the Indian Ocean, tourism will never run out,” he said.

According to Chapo, Inhambane had been chosen to take on the role of the country’s main tourism development hub, serving as a model for promoting the sector’s growth in other parts of Mozambique.

“We need to have a reference point and a pilot centre for tourism development in Mozambique,” he said. Tourism as a sector capable of stimulating other economic activities by integrating local suppliers into the value chains associated with tourism developments”, he said.

The country, he said, intends to host the Global Tourism Forum in 2027, in an initiative to be organized in partnership with the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Global Tourism Institute.

“The government has presented a portfolio of between 40 and 50 tourism projects to investors during the Mozambique Tourism Summit, including 25 projects structured for financing and partnerships. It includes the Vilankulo waterfront, the expansion of airport infrastructure and new luxury tourism developments in Massingir and the Bazaruto Archipelago”, he explained.

Am/