Tourism in Malawi

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Malawi, officially known as the Republic of Malawi, is a country located in southeastern Africa. The country is also referred to as "The Warm Heart of Africa", due to the friendliness of the people. [1]

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Malawi has a variety of tourist attraction sites including Lake Malawi (29,600 km²), several national parks, game reserves, and Mulanje Mountain . The tourism industry in Malawi has significantly grown since the mid-1970s, and the Malawian government is attempting to expand it further. The tourism industry was, however, significantly affected in the 1980s by an economic recession in South Africa—where most Malawian tourists come from. The sector was also greatly affected by the destabilisation of Zimbabwe but it has seen double-digit growth in recent years. Tourism contributed 4.5% to the national GDP in 2014 and provided 3.8% of all jobs. [2]

Main tourist attraction sites

Malawi has a range of popular tourist attractions, including Lake Malawi, Mulanje Mountain and Zomba Plateau. National parks are another common tourist destination. Notable sites include Nyika National Park, Kasungu National Park, and Liwonde National Park. Lake Malawi National Park is another significant destination, as it is listed as a UNESCO heritage site due to the unique species that inhabit the grounds.

In addition to these sites, the rock paintings at Chongoni are another commonly visited tourist destination. These sites provide an understanding of traditional culture in Malawi, depicting farmer rock art and BaTaw paintings, a group that inhabited the area from the Stone Age. [3]

Lake Malawi

Covering almost a fifth of the country, Lake Malawi is one of the defining natural features in the country. Lake Malawi spans from the Northern region of the country through the Southern region, with its northern part being the deepest. It is the world's eighth largest freshwater lake and Africa's third largest lake. Sometimes known as the Lake of Stars, Lake Malawi is the country's largest contributor to its tourism industry. Lake Malawi has a diverse ecology that includes native animals. The lake has clear water, allowing for the observation of cichlid fish. Some activities that take place on the lake are snorkeling, diving, kayaking and horse riding.

Beaches

Malawi has a variety of beaches where tourists can visit. Some of the most notable beaches on the shores of Lake Malawi include Kande Beach and Chintheche Inn in Nkhata Bay. There are many lodges along the lake shore where tourists can also spend their time. Some of the accommodation facilities along the coasts of Lake Malawi include Makokola Retreat in Mangochi, Sunbird Livingstonia in Salima, and many more. While at the beaches along the coast of Lake Malawi, tourists can participate in various water sports including kayaking, parasailing, canoeing, snorkeling and water skiing or they could even go fishing.

Lake of Stars Music Festival

The Lake of Star Music festival is an annual music concert that happens along the coasts of Lake Malawi. Lake of Stars is one of Africa's biggest music festivals that attracts at least 4000 local and international attendees as well as artists from countries within Africa and beyond. The annual event was founded by Will Jameson in 2004 and ever since, the event has gained recognition from CNN, The Mail & Guardian and The Independent. The live music event, which usually occurs in the fall, bridges the local and international tourists, and it is also a source of revenue in the tourism industry.

National Parks

Malawi is home to several national parks with a lot of wildlife, such as the zebras at Nyika National Park and the elephants at Liwonde National Park. Lake Malawi National Park in the South is a UNESCO heritage site and it has over a thousand species of fish and birds that are just unique to the warm heart of Africa. Located at Cape Maclear, Lake Malawi National park is the only Malawian national park that was opened to protect the biodiversity of unique fish and other aquatic species that it inhabits.

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Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south and southwest. Malawi spans over 118,484 km2 (45,747 sq mi) and has an estimated population of 19,431,566. Malawi's capital is Lilongwe. Its second-largest is Blantyre, its third-largest is Mzuzu and its fourth-largest is its former capital, Zomba. The name Malawi comes from the Maravi, an old name for the Chewa people who inhabit the area. The country is nicknamed "The Warm Heart of Africa" because of the friendliness of its people.

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The economy of Malawi is $7.522 billion by gross domestic product as of 2019, and is predominantly agricultural, with about 80% of the population living in rural areas. The landlocked country in south central Africa ranks among the world's least developed countries. In 2017, agriculture accounted for about one-third of GDP and about 80% of export revenue. The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations. The government faces strong challenges: to spur exports, to improve educational and health facilities, to face up to environmental problems of deforestation and erosion, and to deal with the problem of HIV/AIDS in Africa. Malawi is a least developed country according to United Nations.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zomba, Malawi</span> Place in Southern Region, Malawi

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nyika Plateau</span> Plateau in Malawi

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Liwonde National Park, also known as Liwonde Wildlife Reserve, is a national park in southern Malawi, near the Mozambique border. The park was established in 1973, and has been managed by the nonprofit conservation organization African Parks since August 2015. African Parks built an electric fence around the perimeter of the park to help mitigate human-wildlife conflict. In early 2018, the adjacent Mangochi Forest Reserve was also brought under African Parks' management, almost doubling the size of the protected area.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ulendo Airlink</span> Airline of Malawi

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References

  1. ↑ Horner, Marie-Josèphe. "Malawi -The Warm Heart of Africa". UNC. UNC. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  2. ↑ Travel&Tourism economic Impact 2014 Malawi. 2014. p. 1.
  3. ↑ "Chongoni Rock-Art Area". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 2020-10-31.

1. https://www.malawitourism.com 2. https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/africa-view-best-african-festivals/index.html

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