A Taste of Malawi: Malawi tourism promotion evening in London

At a sell out event in Scotland House – the home to Scottish business in London – 80 organisations came together to discuss Malawi business trade investment and tourism on Thursday, November 7.

The SMP was delighted to support the event as members of the Malawi-UK Business Group executive.

The now annual event explored opportunities, linkages and markets in Malawi, and Malawian products available in the United Kingdom.

This year, the event followed a very successful World Travel Market at ExCel London which this year focused on Malawi tourism opportunities.

Attending the evening were senior Malawi Government officials from the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism, including the Minister Salim Bagus MP, providing information to prospective investors, tourism operators, service providers and the media on doing business in the Malawi tourism sector.

Trade officials were also on hand to provide wider information on investment opportunities across Malawi priority sectors.

Malawi is an increasingly popular tourist destination, with recognition of its unexploited natural beauty, its resurgent game reserves, and the warmth of welcome visitors receive.

The UK Government has included Malawi as one of its key investment destinations in Africa, which will unlock finance and opportunities to invest in Malawi, or import Malawi products such as honey, tea, coffee, macadamia, soy beans, rice, sugar, minerals and others into the UK and global markets using preferential tariffs agreements.

Malawi Tourism has received a major boost in recent years by returning as a Big Five destination, the Lake Malawi UNESCO heritage status and recent visits related to wildlife promotion by His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex.

It is one of the most sought after natural African destination.

The evening brought together a range of high-level stakeholders across the travel and trade sectors, providing a unique opportunity to make new contacts and learn more about new opportunities and include a small exhibition of tour operators and Malawi products.

The venue of Scotland House – part of the Scottish Government – reflected the 160-year-old close friendship between Scotland and Malawi.