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Shattered Mozambique tourism tries to look beyond Cyclone Kenneth

Saturday, May 18, 2019

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As an aftermath of Cyclone Kenneth, parts of northern Cabo Delgado province of Mozambique have turned into a mess. In a matter of weeks, as the second powerful cyclone hit the country when Kenneth made landfall in late April, it thrashed the coastal part with winds of 140 miles per hour and dumped up to 20 inches of rain.

 

These days in villages, palm trees lie flattened and simple adobe houses lie in ruins. Food aid has not been up to the mark with erratic distribution. To make matters even poorer, the U.S. State Department has cautioned against travel to the region as a result of extremist attacks on local villages.

 

It’s very different from the paradisiacal images that have attracted luxury tourists to these far northern reaches of the country. As oil and gas deposits have been a major benefit to the local economy, high-end tourism in the Quirimbas Archipelago of the region has blossomed in the last decade as island lodges make the most of the tropical climate of the region and undamaged waters.

 

In the aftermath of Kenneth, growth of tourism is under threat, although operators remain bullish that travelers will keep booking.

 

“We haven’t had any cancellations,” said Mark Havercroft, regional director for Minor Hotels Africa, which operates two properties in the region.

 

AVANI Pemba Beach Hotel underwent flooding in its conference facilities and some rooms. However it remained opened throughout the cyclone. Anantara Medjumbe Island Resort, nonetheless, badly affected wind damage to its rooms and some photovoltaic panels – the lodge is completely solar-powered – and lost its beachfront activity centre.

 

The island is closed for repairs, and is only set to reopen in late-July.

 

“The commercial [and] corporate bookings have slowed down, but individual travelers continue to book the hotels,” added Havercroft. “Our sales teams are also participating in various trade shows locally and internationally to sell the region and our properties.”

 

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