Madagascar awaits tourism windfall from hit movie
The Malagasy tourism industry is patiently awaiting an expected boom in visitors to the Indian Ocean island nation driven by the animated box-office hit Madagascar, officials said on Wednesday.
Though tourist arrivals have yet to register any significant jump from the film that was released in May, they said medium- and long-term prospects are bright and noted the island's hospitality industry cannot cope with an immediate surge anyway.
"It will be two years before we feel the effects of the movie," said Clement Ravalisaona, president of Madagascar's Professional Tour Operators' Association (TOP), opining that United States and European tourists whom the film might influence plan holidays well in advance.
"Americans and Europeans prepare two years ahead of their vacations," he said, adding that bookings for the island's 9 300 hotel rooms are now beginning to climb for the period ending next October.
"We are already having difficulty in hotel reservations up to October 2006," Ravalisaona said.
But it is 2007 that is seen as the golden year for Madagascar-based tourism for Madagascar.
Ahead of the film's release, Malagasy tourism board chief Henri Roger described the computer-generated comedy from animation giant DreamWorks as "an incredible chance" that would draw tens of thousands of visitors to the island.
"With the efforts made to promote tourism and this film, we hope we will have 600 000 tourists in 2007," Ravalisaona said, triple the number of non-business and family visits officials hope to record this year.
Madagascar's beach- and rainforest-driven tourism industry is still recovering from a body blow dealt it in 2002 after battles erupted over disputed December 2001 presidential elections, causing the number of visitors to plummet.
Since then, there has been a 35% increase in tourists, and the island has embarked on a promotional campaign mainly in the US and Europe to boost the numbers even further.
As part of that drive, the government is working with investors to build an additional 500 hotel rooms per year on the island and has sponsored informational trips for travel agents and journalists, officials said.
But, they noted the publicity from Madagascar -- a family-oriented tale that recounts the misadventures of a lion and his zebra, giraffe and hippo friends at New York's Central Park Zoo -- is free. -- Sapa-AFP
Antananarivo, Madagascar 06 July 2005 03:32
Though tourist arrivals have yet to register any significant jump from the film that was released in May, they said medium- and long-term prospects are bright and noted the island's hospitality industry cannot cope with an immediate surge anyway.
"It will be two years before we feel the effects of the movie," said Clement Ravalisaona, president of Madagascar's Professional Tour Operators' Association (TOP), opining that United States and European tourists whom the film might influence plan holidays well in advance.
"Americans and Europeans prepare two years ahead of their vacations," he said, adding that bookings for the island's 9 300 hotel rooms are now beginning to climb for the period ending next October.
"We are already having difficulty in hotel reservations up to October 2006," Ravalisaona said.
But it is 2007 that is seen as the golden year for Madagascar-based tourism for Madagascar.
Ahead of the film's release, Malagasy tourism board chief Henri Roger described the computer-generated comedy from animation giant DreamWorks as "an incredible chance" that would draw tens of thousands of visitors to the island.
"With the efforts made to promote tourism and this film, we hope we will have 600 000 tourists in 2007," Ravalisaona said, triple the number of non-business and family visits officials hope to record this year.
Madagascar's beach- and rainforest-driven tourism industry is still recovering from a body blow dealt it in 2002 after battles erupted over disputed December 2001 presidential elections, causing the number of visitors to plummet.
Since then, there has been a 35% increase in tourists, and the island has embarked on a promotional campaign mainly in the US and Europe to boost the numbers even further.
As part of that drive, the government is working with investors to build an additional 500 hotel rooms per year on the island and has sponsored informational trips for travel agents and journalists, officials said.
But, they noted the publicity from Madagascar -- a family-oriented tale that recounts the misadventures of a lion and his zebra, giraffe and hippo friends at New York's Central Park Zoo -- is free. -- Sapa-AFP
Antananarivo, Madagascar 06 July 2005 03:32
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