Mozambique’s Tourism Revenue Up By 21% in 2007, Tourism Minister Says

The number of overseas visitors to Mozambique in 2007 increased year-on-year by 21 percent and generated revenue of US$163 million, Tourism Minister Fernando Sumbana said on Saturday.

Speaking at the end of a Maputo conference on tourism in Southern Africa, during the 7th meeting of economists from the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), Sumbana said, “The main indicators show positive evolution with good prospects for the future of the tourism industry in the country.”

A total of 1,259,000 tourists came to Mozambique in 2007, noted the minister, adding that the number of hotel beds in the county have arisen from 15,740 to 17,035.

“Increasing investment has contributed not just to expansion of capacity of services but also to higher quality, placing Mozambique in a seriously competitive position in the region as a tourist destination,” added the minister.

Mozambique is looking at hosting half of the 600,000 football fans who will visit the southern African region in 2010 for the World Cup football finals in neighboring South Africa.

It is investing US$600 million to upgrade its tourism facilities battered during the 16 year civil war which ended in 1992.

Source African Press Agency

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