Globally and in Mozambique in particular, tourism was the sector that suffered the most from the impacts of the crisis caused by Covid-19. With the drastic reduction in the cases of Covid-19 and the gradual resumption of activities in the sector, a window of hope opens for the economic recovery of the sector that is by far the most affected by the crisis.

Muhammad Abdullah, president of the Tourism Department of the Confederation of Mozambique Economic Associations (CTA), gives an x-ray of the current tourism moment, and says that the bet on domestic tourism should be taken seriously. Despite this opening that is gradually taking place, Abdullah says that the moment is not yet one of euphoria. "The numbers show that the recovery of this segment is much slower than leisure tourism," clarifies the responsible for the Tourism department, in an interview with MzNews.

It is known that tourism was severely affected by the crisis caused by Covid- 19. What scenarios does the sector currently experience with this near resumption of activities?

Yes it is true, unfortunately we are talking about a singular case among the various sectors of activity. The Tourism sector is, prominently, the sector most negatively affected by the effects of this pandemic. 

Right now, we are still with a large part of the industry figuring out how it can respond. There have been many companies closing down while many others have not, but have become deeply unable to start a recovery by their own means. Essentially the companies with more means, structure and fundamentally more financial capacity are adapting better and trying to react.

We have tried, in the work done in the CTA's Tourism Department, to explore the communication channels we have with our Government, seeking solutions together between the private and public sectors, because the needs for the recovery of a sector such as Tourism will not be solved without this team work. This is a certainty that we have and one of the guidelines that guides our entire strategy for the recovery of the sector.

Tourism in Mozambique is business tourism and the numbers show that the recovery of that segment is much slower than leisure tourism."

This context allows us to divide the situation into two different scenarios: the companies that were better prepared and therefore with their own means are now pulling the sector on their own, leading this recovery; and then, the majority of the companies that are waiting to see what help can be granted to them from our Government's side because they do not have the capacity to make this difficult road to recovery on their own.

However, as I have already stressed, we are aware that nothing will be solved just by making funds available or exempting taxes, for example. Tourism in Mozambique is business tourism and the numbers show that the recovery of this segment is much slower than that of leisure tourism for example, and for this reason we have to concentrate our efforts in reframing our offer and our focus in terms of the type of product that we promote and privilege as a country. I am talking about taking this opportunity to once and for all give our national tourism product the support and tools it needs to assume itself as the main player in Mozambique Tourism.

This is the only way to strengthen local economies, improve infrastructures, and create ways to capitalize on all the potential we have in the country, and not be so exposed to tourism that may or may not come from abroad.

What numbers can you advance in terms of revenue and productive activity at this point?

At this moment, it is still difficult to indicate concrete scenarios in terms of recovery of productive activity at the level of the sector as a whole. 

We can, to some extent, consider the numbers we already have on the Aviation side as indicative of some recovery, since we are there with values close to the 75% pre-pandemic volume. However, while it may indicate some pattern of recovery, we know that these numbers do not reflect the same recovery dynamics as the sector as a whole, which will certainly not exceed 50%.

In the tourism sector, which areas have stood out in this recovery?

Aviation is indeed the industry related to the sector that is most rapidly approaching pre-pandemic volumes. 

However, and just to put this development into the context of what was the crisis that the Aviation industry was plunged into as a direct result of the pandemic, at the European airline level alone we are talking about losses of over €22 billion with airports suffering a reduction of almost 75% in terms of daily flows. 

Aviation is indeed the industry related to the sector that is most rapidly approaching pre-pandemic volumes. "

It is very important and very urgent that we also prepare for this, to correctly understand these numbers and indicators of the recovery that we all want to see. The losses have been immense, and unfortunately, with the expected stagnation in economic growth, the increased costs with the new security protocols, and the constant changes in travel restrictions, the real and effective recovery will take many years to come.

What steps can be taken to get the industry back to its normal stage in terms of revenue?

At this moment, the main challenge for our Tourism is to assume definitively that the bet on Domestic Tourism is serious and to be maintained. 

However, and in parallel, in the Tourism Department we are working on some measures that are essential for our sector and that, for this reason, we will not rest until they become a reality:

the implementation of sustainable development models for Tourism, integrating the communities and promoting local economies, involving not only the companies and entrepreneurs of the region but also improving the infrastructures for direct use by the general public;

improving the reputation of destinations and the country in general in terms of safety and security, regaining the confidence of tourists and potential investors;

the training and qualification of local leaderships in the implementation of the national plans for the valorization of the national tourist product the adoption of service quality standards and automation of processes through the use of technology.

These are some of the essential measures, not only to get back to our normal stage, but to overcome it and achieve a development that allows us to have a capable, stable and sustained sector.

What prospects do you see for tourism in the future?

At home, my father taught us to have faith, believe in God, have hope, and never give up, keep working hard because, God willing, we will be rewarded. Also because of this, I am very optimistic about the future of our Tourism, we undoubtedly have a huge journey ahead of us, but I was used to seeing problems as opportunities and I can't help but see our current context in a different way. It is the opportunity we have to structure and project into the future a sector that can be one of the most important engines of our Economy.

Mozambique is one of the few countries in the world with these conditions and natural resources that have not yet been developed and exploited by the country. We are talking about 2.5 thousand kilometers of pure tourism potential, paradise beaches, desert islands, crystal clear sea, unique fauna and flora, excellent gastronomy, warm and welcoming people. I can't help being optimistic and I can't imagine any other way to face the future.

I am sure that all of us Mozambicans, lovers of our homeland, will know how to recognize and take advantage of the wonders of your country, contributing directly and decisively to the development of our economy.