While still facing some teething problems, Mozambique’s recently launched eVisa platform has significantly improved the marketability of the country and has made access easier for visitors, according to tour operators and government officials.
The eVisa was launched on December 5 as part of a raft of economic stimulus measures that also includes relaxed visa requirements for investment and an expanded list of countries due to be added to Mozambique’s visa exemption list.
“From what we have experienced thus far, those applying for the eVisa have had success with the online portal, for both tourist and business visas,” said Natalie Tenzer-Silva, Director of Dana Tours, one of the country’s leading tour operators. Official figures for the total number of processed applications have not yet been collated.
Tenzer-Silva said additional engagements between the tourism industry, government and the Confederation of Business Associations of Mozambique would further alleviate some teething problems with the system’s ease of use, and provide better clarity regarding relevant visa information for applicants.
She said the December high-season had seen a massive influx of visitors. “We were inundated with requests in the last quarter of 2022 for the festive period and couldn’t find any available accommodation. The borders were chock-a-block with tourists flocking to the beaches.”
Boon for destination marketing
Mozambique’s Minister of Culture and Tourism, Eldevina Materula, said on December 19 that the launch of the eVisa had given more impetus to the country’s destination marketing drives.
“Since the eVisa was launched and as a consequence of the interoperability of this platform with the tourism portal Visit Mozambique, the views on the portal have grown by more than 100%,” said Materula, highlighting the other benefits of the new system.
“It is expected to simplify the process for obtaining visas to enter the country, fight corruption, improve the business environment, encourage good governance, attract more foreign investment, boost tourism in Mozambique and increase the number of visitors and revenues, among other direct benefits.”
Mozambique’s government has created a multi-sectoral team to implement the 20 measures outlined by President Felipe Nyusi in his Economic Acceleration Package. Materula stressed that the developing nation was still being held back by a lack of tourist services.
“[These include] tourist transport, leisure activities, availability of affordable domestic flights, affordable tour packages (especially for domestic tourists) and a tourism police force that ensures the safety of visitors and represents the hospitality of the population of 32 million Mozambicans.”
Targeting 10 million visits a year
For the first half of 2022, Mozambique recorded over 350 000 international visitors, and full-year numbers are expected to be well below the record 2.9 million arrivals in 2018. Materula said the visa relaxation measures would assist the country to come closer to its ambitious target of attracting 10 million visits a year by 2025.
“We believe that these measures will make the country more competitive at a regional and international level and, consequently, we will witness the accelerated development of the tourism industry.”
“We take this opportunity to challenge the travel industry to continue to promote Destination Mozambique in order to increase the flow of international tourism,” Materula concluded.
