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In a bid to spice up tourism, Malawi has lifted visa necessities for guests from 79 international locations, President Lazarus Chakwera instructed Parliament on Friday.
Tourism is the third-largest supply of overseas forex within the impoverished southern African nation, after tobacco and tea — however the sector is underperforming, Chakwera, stated.
“Chief among the many components contributing to that is our nation’s accessibility, which is why we now have carried out the visa waiver program,” he added.
The USA, Britain, France, China, Russia and members of the Southern African Improvement Neighborhood (SADC), a regional bloc, are among the many international locations benefiting from the exemption.
Tourism Minister Vera Kamtukule instructed AFP that onerous visa necessities had been throttling the nation’s potential — and brought on complaints.
“Our technique is to draw investments in agriculture, tourism, and mining,” Kamtukule stated.
“By eliminating visa necessities for our key supply markets globally, we’re signalling that Malawi is open for enterprise.”
Residence to considerable wildlife, together with elephants, hippos and crocodiles, the landlocked nation is partially coated by the waters of Lake Malawi, Africa’s third-largest freshwater lake.
Famend for its crystal-clear waters, sandy seashores and numerous marine life, the lake is listed as a World Heritage website by UN tradition company UNESCO.