Malawi Department of Tourism is mandated to develop, regulate and market Malawi as a tourist destination.
Tourism Planning and Development
Responsible for coordinating and planning for the Tourism Sector through facilitating development of the following:
- National Tourism Policy
- Tourism Development Strategic Plans
- Tourism Investment facilitation (both private and public – Access Roads to Resorts project)
- Collection, collating and facilitate production of Tourism statistics by NSO
- Facilitating tourism stakeholders’ coordination (Tourism Sector Working Groups)
- Coordinating capacity building for the sector (e.g. establish number and quality of trained personnel, skills gap analysis, etc.)
- Facilitating bilateral and multilateral cooperation with other countries and international institutions
Marketing
Standards and Safety
Our Regional Offices
Safety and Standards Procedures
Before an establishment can be granted a license, it is a requirement that it undergoes an inspection to ensure that it meets the minimum requirements / standards stipulated in the Tourism and Hotels Act
Licensing New Units
- Submission of project proposals to the Dept. of Tourism
- Production of plans and sketch maps which should be approved by relevant authorities (on our part plans should be scrutinized to make sure that they are line with the Tourism Regulations in respect of room sizes, positioning of facilities etc)
- Construction and making the unit ready for guest use- (making sure that we provide advice that is based on what is contained in the regulations not our personal tastes and preferences)
- Application for a licence. (see application form in the tourism regulations).
- Scheduling of inspection exercise
Re - Inspection Procedure
- At the expiry of the grace period in the inspection report, units undergo re-inspection exercise to check shortfalls have been rectified.
- When going, you carry with you a copy of the inspection report for reference.
- You request the owner/ manager to take you around the unit to check if the shortfalls have been rectified and you either recommend for a license or closure if they fail to rectify shortfalls
Classification and Grading
- Classify and grade tourism accommodation units in liaison with THB (star grading)
- Under the Act, the Board shall classify and grade hotels by considering the following:
- The structure of the buildings, amenities provided, recreational facilities and natural surroundings.
- The degree of comfort afforded, the quality of equipment and furnishings
- The standard of cleanliness throughout the premises
- The manner in which food is stored, prepared, cooked and served Services provided at the unit and the degree of efficiency of staff and management
Closure Procedure
- Arrive at the reception
- All for the manager
- Greetings and introductions
- Explain purpose of visit and ask if management has done anything towards rectifying the shortfalls.
- Whichever the answer, inspectors go round the premises and verify. When there are still shortfalls remaining, the unit is closed down.
- If the shortfalls have been rectified, these should be noted down and recommend for a licence
Marketing Malawi
The marketing section is responsible for enhancing the visibility of Malawi as a tourist destination both domestically and internationally

+265 1 775 499

info@visitmalawi.mw
