Mozambican tourism is "breathing a sigh of relief" this festive season in Inhambane. Even with the rising cost of living, the paradisiacal beaches of Vilankulo are attracting hundreds of tourists for New Year's Eve.

After two years of the Covid-19 pandemic, Mozambican tourism is slowly recovering from the drop in revenue caused by the health rules imposed by the authorities as measures to prevent the coronavirus.

Now, even with the high rate of inflation that is having an impact on people's lives, the coastal town of Vilankulo, in Inhambane province, continues to be the favorite tourist destination for citizens from almost all over the world.

Quoted by DW Africa, the president of the Vilankulo Tourism Association, Yassin Amuji, revealed that in recent days the city has received an average of more than 250 tourists a day, and that they want to start 2023 on Vilankulo's paradisiacal beaches.

"The flights from South Africa have been full and we have two more from Zimbabwe a week. These are figures that show that Vilankulo has been a benchmark," said Amuji, who was pleased with the return of tourists to the city.

Inflation is pushing up the prices of essential goods, with a direct impact on the cost of living for Mozambicans. As a result, many Mozambicans are unable to book into hotels or restaurants along the coast.

Paulo Muchanga, manager of one of the hotels, also told DW Africa that most of the bookings were made by Europeans and Africans who chose to spend New Year's Eve on the beaches of Inhambane. "We have a full house, we no longer have any rooms available for New Year's Eve," he said.

Melody Mukamana is one of the many tourists staying in one of the city's hotels to enjoy the vacations. The Zimbabwean went to Inhambane with her family to celebrate the New Year.

"Mozambique is a welcoming country, so we've always come here for New Year's Eve, since 2010. This time I invited my friends and their husbands to see the wonders this region has to offer," said Mukamana, who is already thinking of investing in Mozambique.

Emídio Nhantumbo, the provincial director of culture and tourism, told the press that the local government expects to raise more than 5 million euros from tourists during the end-of-year festivities.

"We hope that at the turn of the year, 2022 to 2023, we can bring in more than 900 million meticais. But we don't know the exact figure yet, because it will depend on all the dynamics of the tourists we're going to receive," concluded Nhantumbo.