Tourist numbers on the rise.

30 May, 2009

Over 1.5 million foreigners visited Mozambique in 2008 according to figures released by the tourism ministry in Maputo. This is in line with a growth trend that has seen the number of tourists to the country more than double since 2005. Most of the tourists come from neighbouring South Africa.

The number of available hotel beds has also risen from 15,000 in 2005 to over 17,500 last year. Most of the available beds are in the capital. Hotels across the country now employ over 40,000 people, the tourism ministry says. Of these, over half are women.

In 2008 revenue from tourism stood at US$185 million in 2008