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29/10/2015 Connection lda Becomes First Social Media Site with Mozambique Tourism INATUR "Mozambique Mark"
Connection lda, Mozambique's largest Tourism Publicity Company, and promoter of such websites as http://www.mozambicanhotels.com and http://www.hoteismocambicanos.com has become the first company to gain approval to use the Mozambique Tourism Mark on their social media group called Mozambique Tourism para todos, on Facebook. The group has over 36.000 members and is a dual language social media platform aimed specifically aimed at promoting tourism to the local market.
Director of Connection lda, Blake Gray, tells us that the future of Tourism in Mozambique is promoting to the local market.
"When I arrived in Mozambique over ten years ago, from Ponta do Ouro all the way up to northern Inhambane the only market lodge-owners were concerned about was the South African one.
In the last five years these numbers of dropped dramatically due to a number of reasons, whilst in the same period the middle class in major cities like Maputo and Matola have increased considerably and tourism is now becoming a priority. THe South African market will always be extremely important, but I have preached the importance of the local market to all of my clients since we began back in 2012. One of the great advantages of building up your local clientele is the tourism establishment doesn't suffer such extreme seasonality that currently afflicts most tourism centres outside of Mozambique's major cities."
Leisure tourism numbers have been severely hit over the last five years and various real estate websites show dozens of lodges, hotels, and holidays houses for sale in Mozambique tourism hubs, we asked Mr. Gray if the industry will see out the storm.
"I think the worst is behind us, but that doesn't infer a rebound. Many tourism establishments are still running at a loss and we will probably see a few more close over the coming 12 months. When we see Barra Lodge, one of Mozambique's most famous destinations, sold back in August we see the level of decline. But having said that Barra Lodge is an example of a lodge that never seriously targetted the Mozambique market. It's website included telephone numbers to South Africa, an instant turn-off for a Mozambican looking for somewhere to stay in Barra. What we are currently seeing is an acute shake-up of the industry. Who will most prosper are those who have foreseen this shift and have prepared for it. Being listed on SafariNow, or other South African-based websites is no longer enough to prosper in this environment. Tourism establishments need to understand the importance of INATUR, and embrace the marketing that is currently being done in Mozambique, to Mozambicans.
The Mozambican Facebook group "Mozambique Tourism para todos" continues to spread the word about Mozambique Tourism with a vast majority of the groups members are Mozambicans.
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