Madagascar Larger Than Life, New Life for Madagascar’s Tourist Industry?
Studio heads predict Madagascar will make anywhere from 175 to 240 million dollars, providing high visibility to this remote island nation (Dreamworks CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg said Madagascar test-screened better than the blockbuster Shrek). Beyond marketing the story of these characters, the unique natural environment and animals of Madagascar should have a significant opportunity to be exposed to a wide audience. Currently, information on travel to Madagascar is difficult to come by, especially in the United States. While the island attracted 230,000 tourists in 2004, up from 160,000 the previous year, nearly two thirds of those numbers come from France, Madagascar’s former colonial ruler. The goal for the country’s nation tourist office is an annual 20 percent increase in the number of tourist, with a target figure of 684,000 in 2010. Much of the recent growth for the tourist industry can be accounted for by the burgeoning, but flourishing ecotourism sector, according to tour operator