International tourism is well-positioned to return to pre-pandemic levels in Madagascar. More than 111,000 tourists visited the country between January and July, according to new data published in the Tourism Ministry's newsletter.
In July 2023, over 25,000 tourists visited Madagascar. While this number falls short of the 34,000 arrivals in 2019 before the Covid pandemic, it still provides hope for tourism operators. July and August are typically the busiest times for tourists.
During October, the country experienced another peak tourism season. In October 2019, there were 32,366 tourists, while in October 2022, the number decreased to 22,023. However, the number of tourists is expected to rise again this year.
Nosy Be Island is a top destination for foreign tourists, wholly occupying all 2000 hotel rooms. A significant advantage of Nosy Be is that it can be easily accessed by direct flights from abroad, with multiple airlines providing this service.
The Ministry of Tourism aims to attract one million foreign tourists by 2028. According to their newsletter, they plan to create an innovative tourism code focusing on sustainable tourism. They are also considering allowing the construction of ecolodges in national parks in partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development.
