By Dean Chisambo
Minister of Tourism, Vera Kamtukule says the 2024 Malawi International Tourism Expo (MITE) to be held from April 25 to 27,2024 will focus on strengthening the partnerships which the ministry has created with the global travel trade so as to embrace the growing tourism.
Kamtukule made the remarks during a press briefing in Lilongwe on Tuesday.
She emphasized that the expo will not just be about welcoming international buyers and travel media from the biggest market sources such as the United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands and USA but also work on embracing growing tourism markets such as India, China, Italy and France among others.
The Minister said her ministry is also focusing on engaging East African countries such as Kenya and Tanzania to participate in the Expo.
Kamtukule said:”This is not only because these are growing economies or markets, but also because they receive a lot of tourists from our key source markets. We would like to work with them to extend their visits to Malawi.”
Kamtukule mentioned that these regional markets promise vibrant exchanges, potential partnerships and the chance to showcase Malawi’s unique charm to fellow African travelers.
She further said that the bilateral agreements that Malawi signed with these countries in the field of tourism have been operationalised and practically facilitate joint marketing efforts between the countries.
Kamtukule also emphasised that success in tourism development requires strong collaboration across government agencies and different actors at local and regional levels hence the need for a strong partnership among stakeholders in this year’s MITE.
“This is why we have decided that for this year’s expo, we would like to do things a little different. We are not looking for sponsors; we are looking for partners, institutions and individuals who will work with us not just to deliver the expo but also look at the bigger picture of promoting tourism development in the country,” she said.
The 2024 Malawi International Tourism Expo is expected to attract Western countries as well East African countries respectively.
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