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Wednesday, 12 December, 2018, 17 : 53 PM [IST]
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‘Malawi is known as the warm heart of Africa’
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Indian nationals have contributed significantly to the economy of Malawi
by establishing different types of businesses. If everything goes in the
right direction on the international front there will be further scope for
business in the coming years says, George Crytone Mkondiwa, High
Commissioner of the Republic of Malawi in New Delhi in an interaction
with Anurag Tiwari.
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Q What are Malawi’s tourism offerings
compared to other African nations?
Malawi is a beautiful country located in the
southern part of Africa. It shares borders
with 3 countries namely Mozambique on the
East, Tanzania on the North and Zambia on
the west. A major attraction of Malawi is the
beautiful Lake Malawi that runs across the
country. The lake is known for its fresh water
and vast variety and species of fish. Malawi
has major game reserves and wildlife parks
that are pleasant site seeing ventures and
offers safaris through different agents who
can be contacted
directly. Besides
fresh water, it is also
blessed with vast
natural resources.
Malawi boasts of all
kinds of minerals and
natural resources
available for tourists
to appreciate and
explore further. We
cannot mention of
the natural resources
without talking about
the warm people and
their diverse culture
making Malawi is
known as the warm
heart of Africa.
QWhat is the visa procedure for Indian
nationals?
An Indian national who is opting for a tourist/
business/general visit visa, must have a
valid Indian passport with at least 6 months
validity with 2 passport size photographs,
Malawi visa application form, travel details
(travel tickets/ itinerary) ,three months of
bank statement, yellow fever vaccination
card, sponsor invitation letter along with
a covering formal letter mentioning the
reason and duration of stay in Malawi.
Visa fee for all nationals is same i.e. USD
30/- as a processing fees charged to get a
travel permit certificate with 30 days validity
limit to enter Malawi, further they can pay
balance amount to the immigration officer
to get stay permit stamp on passport and to
get permit according to duration and reason
of stay. The required information is posted in
our website also.
QWhat is your strategy to create
more awareness and knowledge
about Malawi as a destination for Indian
travellers?
The strategy is to increase awareness
through continuous dialogue with relevant
stakeholders and increase information
dissemination about Malawi through all
forms of media.
Q What were the number of travellers
recorded last year and what is
the growth you predict in the current
year? Where does India rank as a source
market?
There were more business travellers than
tourists from India. There were general visits
also but when compared with that of the
business travellers the number is less. Since
Indians are business oriented, naturally 80%
of the visit comes under business category
and rest 20% recorded under general visit.
The Indians have played a crucial role
in the development of Malawi and they
have established diverse business and
contributed positively to the economy. We
can therefore predict that if business runs
well on the international front we will expect
more business requirement in the upcoming
years.
Q Which Indian
cities are
you targeting for
promoting and
marketing Malawi in
the coming year?
All states in India are
of equal importance
to Malawi and it
is a pleasure and
delight to work with
the Government of
India and all state
governments to
promote tourism and
business at all levels.
About Malawi
Malawi is a landlocked
country in southeastern Africa, endowed
with spectacular highlands and extensive
lakes. It has not been a premier African
tourist destination, but it is a real jewel for
those who do visit. The country is about half
the size of the United Kingdom or the size
of Pennsylvania, and one fifth is covered by
Lake Malawi which is home to more species
of fish than any other lake, including about
1,000 species of cichlids. Malawi was named
one of the top 10 countries to visit in the
world in 2014 by Lonely Planet’s Best in
Travel 2014.
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