Mozambique bags $160m tourism revenue

Maputo – Mozambique reaped 160 million dollars from tourism in 2007 surpassing 157 million dollars in 2006, tourism minister Fernando Sumbana said on Sunday.
Sumbana told reporters that the amount only represents international tourism, or money generated by visiting tourists.

“We had projected 1.1 million foreign tourists would visit Mozambique, a significant increase to an average of 650,000 in recent years”, he said adding that the increase in tourist revenue indicates that tourist numbers rose steadily in 2007.

The tourist sector accounts for five per cent of Mozambique’s Gross Domestic Product and agriculture and mining.

He said the resource-rich nation hoped to receive at least 150,000 tourists, or about one third of those expected to visit South Africa during the 2010 World Cup.

“We have approved U$600 million in investments for the next couple of years because we are near to South Africa and the crime rate in Mozambique is not as high as the host country.

Sumbana said the money would be used on building hotels, casinos and other leisure facilities as part of an effort to capitalize on the tourism boom expected during the one-month World Cup, which begins on June 11, 2010.

The bulk of the country’s visitors come from South Africa, Italy, Germany and a handful of other nations.

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