Interview with the Minister of Transport, Tourism and Meteorology, Joël Randriamandranto, who is in charge of two key sectors for the economic development of Madagascar.
What are the current investment opportunities in the transport sector?
Given Madagascar's insular nature, the island's connectivity needs to other regions of the world present attractive opportunities for investors. This year, plans include the concession of ten airports managed by Aéroports de Madagascar (ADEMA), as well as the privatization of several secondary airfields.
The 5,000 km of coastline also represent an opportunity for port development. The port, maritime, and river agency is currently conducting studies to explore the possibility of bringing certain strategic ports to market through public-private partnerships. In addition, it is seeking partners to establish ferry services, intended for both cruise tourism and the transport of people and goods. The Pangalanes Canal, one of the longest artificial waterways in the world, is another significant attraction, facilitating the transport of people and goods, as well as the development of ecotourism.
Finally, railway projects are not to be outdone. The connection of the railway line from Antsirabe to Fianarantsoa, or the construction of a railway line in the mining valley, are all projects open to investors.
Your country has immense tourist potential. What is your plan to increase the number of tourists to Madagascar?
The diversity of tourist offerings is indeed an attractive feature of the destination. Like many countries, Madagascar has not been spared from border closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While we wait for the borders to reopen, our efforts are mainly focused on domestic tourism, particularly through the promotion of promotional packages in the regions.
Increasing international tourism can be achieved through a strategy of diversifying tourism offerings. In addition to beach resorts and ecotourism, the ministry is also focusing its efforts on sports tourism (hiking, golf, kitesurfing).
Increasing the number of hotel rooms, improving air service and training tourism professionals are also factors taken into account to improve the image of the destination.