Maputo — The southern Mozambican province of Inhambane recorded, over the first half of this year, 4.8 billion meticais (75.1 million dollars at the current exchange rate) in revenue from tourism.

According to Emídio Nhantumbo, Inhambane Provincial Director of Culture and Tourism, interviewed by AIM, on Saturday, at the closure of the International Tourism Fair (FIKANI), a four-day event that took place Maputo, this revenue is an increase of 43.2 per cent compared to the same period of last year, when revenue amount to 3.4 billion meticais.

"For this year, the province has projected the arrival of 295,997 national and international tourists, an increase of 22.9 percent compared to the previous year', he said.

He explained that the tourist sector in Inhambane is starting to recover after it was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.

"There is a tendency to receive elite tourists, especially in the Vilanculos region. They stay a long time and spend more, and they enjoy the Big Five marine animals (shark, dolphin, dugong, manta ray and whale)', Nhantumbo said.

He also pointed to the Zinave National Park as the main tourist point for travelers, since the terrestrial Big Five (elephants, rhinos, lions, buffaloes and leopards) can be seen there.