With the aim of revitalising the tourism sector and doubling the number of foreign visitors, the Mozambican Government intends to implement a new tourism tax levied on accommodation costs, according to the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (Prece), seen by the Lusa news agency.
According to the document, this measure aims to strengthen tourism's contribution to job creation, boost marketing of Mozambique as a destination and position the country as a stronger competitor among the main destinations in the region. At present, the annual budget allocated to tourism promotion is around 350,000 dollars (about 301,000 euros) — an amount considered insufficient compared with the 60 million dollars (51.6 million euros) invested by neighbouring South Africa.
The new tax, whose specific amounts have not yet been disclosed, will go towards tourism promotion, professional training, the creation of quality standards in the sector and improved infrastructure. The Government's ambition also includes facilitating access to finance for national operators and diversifying the country's tourism offer.
The Executive sets clear and ambitious targets: to increase the average spend retained per tourist from 125 dollars (108 euros) to 500 dollars (431 euros) and, in aggregate terms, to raise annual foreign tourism revenue from 62.5 million dollars (53.8 million euros) to 500 million dollars (430 million euros).
If successful, this structural boost will raise tourism's weight in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from the current 1.1% to 5%, with a direct impact on tax revenue, job creation and the added value of national products and services.
