‘Hospitality key to tourist attraction’

Ministry of Information, Tourism and Civic Education says the hospitality industry is key to attracting tourists at a time Malawi considers tourism as one of the strategies to boost the economy.

Director of tourism in the ministry, Patricia Liabuba, said this on Wednesday on the sidelines of a welcoming ceremony for 38 Malawi Institute of Tourism (MIT) students to Umodzi Park, which incorporates the President Walmont where they will work as interns.

She said good hotel accommodation can help Malawi attract more tourists to visit the country.

“Hotel accommodation is critical in terms of developing tourism. Tourists want to stay in proper places which offer world-class services. Therefore, Malawi hotels should ensure that they offer good accommodation for the clients,” said Liabuba.

She advised the MIT trainees to adhere to the industry’s core values, namely integrity, accountability and cooperation for the hotel to attract more tourists.

“When you treat tourists well, the tourists will talk good things about Malawi and they will carry the ‘Warm Heart of Africa’ flag,” said Liabuba.

Umodzi Park Holdings Limited chief executive officer Charles Kachelenga said he banked hopes on the MIT trainees, saying they will offer fresh ideas because they are new in the hospitality industry.

“We hope these interns will help us so much because they have new ideas. They have studied a lot of things in class, so now it is time that they should put them to practice,” said Kachelenga.

The trainees will work with the President Walmont for six months and those who will impress the management will be employed permanently afterwards.