COVID-induced low occupancy rates at hotels in Mozambique’s capital, Maputo, are about to be resolved with the city’s positioning as an ideal ‘bleisure’ travel destination, according to the country’s leading hoteliers.
Business travel to Mozambique has been heavily impacted by COVID and, to a lesser extent, by the suspension of Total’s US$20 billion liquefied natural gas project in the conflict-affected Cabo Delgado province in the north of the country. Average hotel occupancies in Maputo, which is home to brands such as Radisson, Stay Easy, City Lodge, Montebelo and Southern Sun amongst others, have been driven to below 40%.
“In general we lag two to three months behind South Africa in terms of the dropping of COVID regulations, so this has hampered our recovery as well. But we started seeing business coming back in September, which was our best month, and we expect October to surpass that,” said Rob van der Velden, GM of Radisson Blu Maputo.
Luring business travellers
In collaboration with the hotel sector and industry associations, government has focused intensively on measures to attract business travellers to Maputo’s shores. As part of an economic stimulus package announced by President Filipe Nyusi, the country’s short-term tourist visa (for the countries that do require visas for travel to Mozambique) has transitioned to a joint tourist-business visa, with a validity period extending from 30 to 90 days.
The imminent introduction of an e-visa policy, along with visa waivers for a list of 72 countries, are also expected to benefit both business and leisure travel. Members of the Hotel Association of Southern Mozambique (which includes Radisson) have also been working with government and destination marketing organisations such as Destination Mozambique, to facilitate the launch of a conventions bureau to realise the city’s potential to host meetings, events and conferences. The city is home to various conferencing and meeting facilities, including the 1 590 sqm Joaquim Chissano International Conference Centre.
“The establishment of the conventions bureau has been one of the most important focus areas for the hotel industry. Being home to embassies and the main business districts of Mozambique, Maputo is missing out on a lot of international conventions, and with the expertise of Destination Mozambique on board, we see a massive future in this space,” said Van der Velden.
Destination Mozambique is working with both private- and public-sector roleplayers to bring corporate travellers to the country. The organisation brought more than 20 buyers (including MICE sector roleplayers) in from South Africa to attend the Fikani trade show and experience the city’s numerous tourist attractions.
“We’re focused on bringing in more corporate buyers to promote business travel and the potential of Maputo as a destination for business and leisure. In addition to high-quality accommodation and conferencing facilities, Maputo has a superb mix of leisure offerings, from cultural tours to heritage experiences, a colourful history, exceptional food, and a vibrant night life,” said Destination Mozambique co-founder, Nikki Weidemann.
