The President of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi said that culture and tourism are complementary of one another, and that the country must take advantage of its potential to boost development, aiming to be the most sought-after tourist destination in Africa by 2025.

The President made the statement during the opening ceremony of the International Congress of Culture and Tourism on Tuesday (November 27) in Maputo.

According to Nyusi, tourism requires a multitude of services, including access routes, transport, water, health services, infrastructure, and security, among others.

He went on to explain that the government aims to put Mozambique on the map, as one of the most sought-after and dynamic tourist destinations in Africa by 2025.

Nyusi called for combined efforts in fostering a harmonious environment enabling national and international investment, and to adopt effective marketing mechanisms.

With this in mind, tourist arrivals to Mozambique doubled in the first quarter of 2018 when compared to the same period last year.

The Minister of Culture and Tourism, Silva Dunduru, said that in 2017, more than 1.5 million tourists visited the country, a number which was surpassed in the first quarter of 2018, as arrivals exceeded 1.6 million. He made the announcement within the framework of the International Congress of Culture and Tourism.

Dunduru said that the country’s climate of peace was one of the main contributors to the growth of the tourism sector.

During the opening ceremony of the congress, the Chancellor of the Polytechnic University, Lourenço do Rosário, recognised the importance of peace in the development of culture and tourism.