Madagascar is a huge country that is famous for its natural beauty and is a popular destination for tourists – but it has struggled to recover from the pandemic
Despite its stunning natural beauty and connections to some of the world’s most populous countries, Madagascar, a vast island nation off Africa’s east coast opposite Mozambique, sees relatively few tourists.
Known officially as the Republic of Madagascar, it was a French colony until 1958. Home to approximately 28.92 million people, Madagascar is renowned for its rich biodiversity, making it an adventurer’s dream with its unique array of flora and fauna.
Madagascar boasts a diverse range of attractions, including monkeys, sacred lemurs, orchids and baobab trees. The country has been grappling with recovery post-pandemic but is now gaining traction.
Pre-pandemic, Madagascar was a favoured tourist spot, attracting over 400,000 visitors annually, reports the Express. However, following its Covid-induced lockdown, the country has found recovery challenging, with the national tourism ministry recording a mere 132,018 arrivals.
This figure includes both foreign visitors and Malagasy natives living abroad who returned home, dealing a significant blow to the local economy. The tourism sector faces numerous hurdles.
The travel and tourism industry lacks diversification, infrastructure is subpar, roads are poorly maintained, and air travel is costly and often unreliable. Before the pandemic, tourism contributed £726m (€849.49m) to Madagascar’s economy, accounting for 6.7 percent of the nation’s gross national product.
Tourism in Madagascar has been hit hard, with cash flow plummeting and the latest data revealing only a modest uptick to 157,000 visitors in the first nine months of 2023. Local hoteliers anticipate a tricky path to recovery, given historical challenges faced by the island’s tourist sector.
Speaking to Tharawat Magazine, Maggie and Sergi Formentin, proprietors of Lac Hotel Shambavy, acknowledged the complexities they face rebuilding their enterprise in the wake of Covid.
Reflecting on past industry fluctuations, Mr Formentin explained: “Between 2006 and 2009, the Malagasy tourism industry developed rapidly, and there was a lot of investment throughout the country.”
He lamented the impact of political instability on the industry, stating: “In 2009, the coup d’etat led to five years of political unrest and transition, creating a harsh economic downturn. The international community ceased foreign investments, and the country was at a standstill. The following years were full of ups and downs.”
Mr Formentin expressed cautious optimism about the future despite recent setbacks brought on by the global pandemic: “The tourism industry started to pick up and was doing well, but then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and, once again, everything has been cut off.
“We hope to rebuild the business, but it will be very complicated.”