Malawi has registered an improved ranking on the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Travel and Tourism Development Index after moving from position 125 in 2019 to 109 out of 117 economies in 2021.
A biennial May 2022 WEF Travel and Tourism Development Index says the findings of the survey point to a start of recovery for the sector, which was one of the worst hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, albeit not at the same pace across the globe.
In a statement accompanying the report, WEF head of shaping the future of mobility Pedro Gomez Pensado said new factors such as the war in Ukraine are also adding to the complexity of this uneven recovery.
He said: “However, the sector and its customers have probably changed permanently. Travellers have become more discerning, not least about the health and hygiene conditions in potential destinations.
“They are also cautious about the impact of future Covid variants or challenges in the form of government policies, border closures and travel disruptions.”
The index looks at five pillars, namely enabling environment, travel and tourism policy and enabling condition, infrastructure, travel and tourism demand drivers; as well as travel and tourism sustainability.
Malawi Tourism Council board chairperson Johns Malili in an interview yesterday said the sector has been recovering from the loss due travel restrictions in the past two years.
“We have lost a lot of money in the past two years due to the restrictions on travel,” he said.
According to WEF, the Covid-19 pandemic has been the worst crisis the global travel and tourism sector has faced in modern times.
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