Malawi’s Minister of Tourism, Vera Kamtukule, describes herself as a ‘hardcore pan-African’. Her policies aim to wake the ‘sleeping giant’ that is the country’s tourism sector with the aim of achieving some of the objectives set out in Malawi Vision 2063 – the country’s 40-year development agenda. Iga Motylska secured an exclusive interview with her at MITE24 (Malawi International Tourism Expo).
Q: What are the biggest misconceptions about Malawi?
A: Many people – even larger African countries – still think of Malawi as a village or a primitive nation that doesn’t even have universities. They think we are still in the Stone Age. That’s one of the many things I’m here to change. Malawi has been touted as ‘Africa for beginners’ and the ‘world’s best kept secret’. I used to like that phrase until now. We are tired of being a secret and want to unleash our secret.
Q: How are you changing this narrative?
A: We are changing the narrative by making…