Fórum para a Natureza em Perigo. Grupo de Trabalho Biodiversidade e Conservação (BICO) A Survey on Tourists and Tourism in Southern Mozambique

Transcription

1 Fórum para a Natureza em Perigo Grupo de Trabalho Biodiversidade e Conservação (BICO) BOAS VINDAS 2000/2001: A Survey on Tourists and Tourism in Southern Mozambique Kátya G S Abrantes Marcos A M Pereira

2 Fórum para a Natureza em Perigo Grupo de Trabalho Biodiversidade e Conservação (BICO) BOAS VINDAS 2000/2001: A Survey on Tourists and Tourism in Southern Mozambique A report prepared by Kátya G S Abrantes and Marcos A M Pereira This report should cited as: Abrantes, K. G. S. & M. A. M. Pereira (2003). Boas Vindas 2000/2001: A Survey on Tourists and Tourism in Southern Mozambique. 21 pp. Maputo, BICO/FNP. Cover design and photographs by Marcos A M Pereira Maputo, June 2003

3 introduction Southern Mozambique is nowadays, a major tourism destination, especially for South African tourists. Points of interest include unspoiled beaches, abundant and diverse sea life, wonderful landscapes and calm and relaxed atmosphere. The major holiday period of the year goes from early December to mid January and the reveillon on certain Mozambican beaches has already become a tradition for several foreign tourists. In order to assess the main characteristics of tourists visiting Southern Mozambique, along with their opinions, activities and interests in various issues, Fórum para a Natureza em Perigo designed and implemented the Boas Vindas 2000/2001 (Wellcome 2000/2001) project. This project was implemented in collaboration and/or with the support of MICOA (Ministry for the Coordination of Environmental Affairs), FUTUR (Tourism Fund), the Navy, Migration Authorities, Police and Local Administrations. It focused mainly on the coastal tourism, by far the most popular in the country. It consisted in an education/awareness conservation-related campaign that involved the distribution of brochures, stickers and posters regarding beach conservation in southern Mozambique (Annex I). This material was distributed in southern Mozambican borders as well as in lodges, camping sites, restaurants, etc. in the main beaches along the coastline of the Maputo, Gaza and Inhambane Provinces. Additionally, and as part of the project, surveys focusing on the demographic characteristics of tourists were conducted in the area between December 1999 and January This report presents the final results of these surveys. methodology Two surveys were conducted in order to describe tourism activity in southern Mozambique, along with the tourists preferences and opinions in various aspects influencing their holidays. Both surveys took place in December January This time of the year was chosen because the tourism activity is at its peak and on the other hand, this epoch seemed to be the ideal to give foreign and national 1

4 tourists a welcome into the new millennium with the challenge of conservation in mind. Border Surveys This survey took place in the three points of entry in Maputo Province: Ponta do Ouro, Ressano Garcia and Namaacha borders (Fig. 1). The three terrestrial borders in the area were surveyed in order to collect data on the entire spectrum of tourists entering the Maputo Province, as well as to compare the profile of the tourists crossing the different borders km Fig 1. Map showing the location of the three borders studied and the main roads and urban centres in southern Mozambique. 2

5 The Ponta do Ouro border is mostly used by South African tourists intending to go to the beaches of the Machangulo-Ponta do Ouro coastal strip, especially to Ponta do Ouro, Ponta Malongane and Ponta Mamoli. The roads in this area are not tarred and, due to the sandy nature of the sediment, it is virtually impossible on non-4x4 vehicles. This difficulty is increased during the summer period, when the heavy rains can turn some of the paths very muddy and impossible to cross. The Ressano Garcia border is situated in a very good condition highway recently repaired and renewed the EN4. The Namaacha border serves the people intending to travel from Swaziland to Mozambique and also South African tourists that prefer to use the Swaziland shortcut and have a much shorter trip inside Mozambique. This border was frequently used before the Ressano Garcia EN4 highway rehabilitation due to its previous extremely degraded conditions. The main objective of this survey was to collected demographic information on the vehicles entering in Mozambique, such as vehicle type and nationality, number of passengers, presence and type of trailers and other material. The surveyor, placed on the Mozambican side of the border, took the necessary notes easy and rapidly in a previously prepared sheet (see Annex II). Tourist survey This survey was based on questionnaires distributed to tourists in three areas, namely in Ponta do Ouro, Namaacha and Inhambane. The first two areas are located in Maputo Province, while the third is at Inhambane Province. Only the tourists coming from or enjoying beach and coastal tourism, were considered. The questionnaires focused not only the nature of the vehicles used and their passengers, but especially on the opinions of the tourists on different subjects, including their stay, the number of days spent in Mozambique, type of accommodation, opinions on the performance of different authorities, etc. (see Annex III). Tourists were left to answer their questionnaires quietly and anonymously in order to encourage honest responses. Both foreign and national tourists were considered. At the end of the questionnaires, tourists were asked to leave any comment or report on whatever issue they thought to be of importance. 3

6 results and discussion Border Surveys The Vehicles A total of 2524 vehicles were surveyed. Of these, 965 were from the Ponta do Ouro border, 917 from Ressano Garcia and 642 from Namaacha. The great majority of the vehicles crossing the Ponta do Ouro and Ressano Garcia borders were 4x4 s, while in the Namaacha border this class of vehicle was only 8% more common than the sedans. Additionally, at the Ponta do Ouro border two four-wheel motorbikes were also observed crossing the border. The heavy vehicles (mostly small buses) were represented by only a small percentage (between 1 and 2 %) in all three borders. Figure 2 shows the proportions of each vehicle class crossing each of the three borders studied. 20% 2% 22% 1% 2% 4 x 4 Sedan Heavy 45% 53% 78% 77% Fig 2. Percentage of sedans, 4x4s and heavy vehicles crossing the Ponta do Ouro, Ressano Garcia and Namaacha borders (left to right). At the Ponta do Ouro border, due to the poor conditions of the road from the border to the beach (actually all the road network in the area is in a very poor condition), it is normal, and was expected, that the vast majority of vehicles passing through this border post would be South African 4x4 s. Table 1 shows that effectively at this border, as well as in the other two, South African vehicles dominated the traffic. The Ressano Garcia road is presently in a very good condition and is used mostly by tourists intending to go to Maputo City or to Gaza and Inhambane beaches. This road is also the most used by South African businessman intending to go to the country s capital. 4

7 Table 1. Nationalities of the vehicles (in percentages) entering the country through each of the three borders surveyed. Vehicle nationality Ponta do Ouro Ressano Garcia Namaacha Mozambican South African Swazi Zimbabwean Other The Namaacha border is, on the other hand, the most used by Swazi and Mozambican businessman. The percentage of vehicles from these two countries, along with Zimbabwean vehicles is higher at this border when compared to the other two. However, the fraction of South Africans remains the largest (~72%). Note that it was also here that a higher percentage of sedans were found, which enforces the fact that this border is the relatively more used for business-related trips. The Passengers Regarding the tourists demographic characteristics, no differences were detected on the number of adults per vehicle among the three study locals (Table 2). In average, between two and three adults were present on each vehicle. In relation to the number of children, however, it was observed that slightly few children per vehicle cross the Namaacha border, when compared to the other two studied borders. This can be a result of the higher percentage of business and commercial nature of most of the trips between Swaziland/South Africa and Mozambique that take place through the Namaacha border. Children are normally not taken on these trips. Table 2. Average and maximum number of adults and children per vehicle crossing each of the three borders. Passengers Ponta do Ouro Ressano Garcia Namaacha Adults Children Adults Children Adults Children Average Percentage The Material Transported Approximately one third of the vehicles entering the country, through the Ponta do Ouro and Ressano Garcia borders towed a trailer (33.3 and 36.5% respectively) (i.e. 5

8 roulotte, jet trailer, box trailer or boat). Through the Namaacha border, however, only 18.1% of the vehicles were seen towing. These figures are also related to the holiday nature of tourism in Mozambique, namely beach/sea related, and to the lack of sufficient tourism infrastructures throughout the country. Hence, it is usually necessary that the tourists bring camping or other holiday equipment. Thus, it is through the Ponta do Ouro and Ressano Garcia border (the most used by tourists), that most trailers were recorded. Within the different trailer types, the box trailer was the most frequently found at the Ponta do Ouro and Namaacha borders (see Fig. 3). The tourist entering through Ponta do Ouro transport camping and/or sport material, food and beverages, etc. while the ones at Namaacha probably transport mainly merchandise and other personal goods. 25% 7% 2% 29% 45% 30% 3% 8% Roulotte Jet Trailer Boat 15% 66% 11% 59% Fig. 3. Type of trailer towed by the border crossers at Ponta do Ouro (left), Ressano Garcia (centre) and Namaacha (right) borders. In these borders, this type of trailer is followed, in a great distance, by boats, being the percentage of boats towed through the Namaacha border a little higher than that found at Ponta do Ouro. This is not as strange as it may seem as, as mentioned before, the Ponta do Ouro roads are degraded and in poor travelling conditions and hence the tourists prefer to tow the boats through the Ressano Garcia border. On the other hand, it must not be forgotten that the total fraction of vehicles towing trailers through the Namaacha border is much lower than that of the Ponta do Ouro border (18.1 vs. 33.3%). Additionally, Ponta do Ouro is a major diving destination, and the great majority of divers use the Diving Center s boats. On the other hand, the tourists entering through Ressago Garcia with boat, are on their way to fishing holidays in Inhambane and Gaza Provinces. The Ressano Garcia border users tow mostly roulottes, as the Ponta do Ouro roads make it very difficult to transport roulottes and on the other side this border is the preferred by the tourists travelling from South Africa when compared to Namaacha s. 6

9 It is also here at Ressano Garcia border where it was found the higher percentage of vehicles towing jets. These are to be used in Gaza (e.g. Bilene and Xai-Xai) and Inhambane (e.g. Barra and Tofo) beaches. Regarding the type of boat towed by tourists, it was noted that at Ponta do Ouro border one-motor boats dominated (see Table 3), probably as a result of the greater difficulty of towing big boats through the sandy roads of the area. On the other hand, at Ressano Garcia the majority of boats towed were two-motored. Table 3. Percentage of one-motor and two-motor boats crossing each border. Boat type Ponta do Ouro Ressano Garcia Namaacha One motor ,35 Two motors It is interesting to note that the proportion of one motor-boats crossing the Ponta do Ouro is exactly the same as the two motor boats towed through the Ressano Garcia border and vice-versa. These proportions, allied to the fact that at the Namaacha border the proportion of one- and two-motor boats was close to 1:1 suggest that ~50% of the boats entering Mozambique have one motor and another ~50% are twomotored. The data also shows that 12.0, 49.0 and 13.3% of the vehicles crossing the Ponta do Ouro, Ressano Garcia and Namaacha borders respectively transported recreational material such as fishing, diving and skiing. These results confirm that water sports are a very important tourism attraction in the country. Again, note that most vehicles transporting recreational material use the Ressano Garcia border, which enforces the previous indication that the conditions of the road are highly responsible for the choice of route used by tourists. On the other hand, the low percentage of vehicles bringing recreational material through the Ponta do Ouro border can be explained by the greater availability of sport centres in the area, where it is possible to rent diving, fishing, skiing and other holiday equipment so that the tourists don t have to bring it themselves. The low percentage of recreational material crossing the Namaacha border suggests, again, that this border is not much used by tourists in holidays. 7

10 In respect to the type of recreation equipment, as can be seen in Table 4, the fraction of fishing material dominated in all borders, being followed on a great distance by the water skiing material, which in turn was commonest in tourists crossing the Namaacha border. As diving material is very expensive and is usually available to rent in local dive centres, only a small percentage of divers bring it with them. Table 4. Percentage of fishing, diving and skiing material brought into the country by the vehicle owners in each of the three studied borders. Material Ponta do Ouro Ressano Garcia Namaacha Fishing Skiing Diving Tourists Survey A total of 459 tourists were asked to fill the questionnaires presented in Annex III. Of these, 250 were collected at Ponta do Ouro beaches, 30 at Namaacha border and 179 in the Inhambane area. The low number of tourists that filled the questionnaires at the Namaacha border is caused by the difficulty to identify tourists crossing the border that intend to go to coastal areas as well as to the low adherence of beach tourists to this border when compared to the other two. On the other side, people crossing a border are usually in a hurry and do not have the will to answer questionnaires. The Namaacha s results were however included in the statistics and graphs for comparison effects. As mentioned before, this part of the survey tried to strike only the tourist fraction. No local people or businessmen were supposed to be included. However, one question regarding the tourist s intention in visiting Mozambique was included in the questionnaire, as it was not possible to completely control this factor. Table 5 shows the answers of the tourists to this question (in percentage). 8

11 Table 5. Reasons why people choose to visit Mozambique. Motive Ponta do Ouro Namaacha Inhambane Holiday Business Holiday + Business Other Most people claimed that they were in Mozambique for holidays, while business comprised a maximum of 10% at Namaacha border. Other reasons for crossing the border included volunteer service (charity) and visiting family or friends. However, and despite the answers given, we can be certain that all interviewees were in Mozambique if not only, at least also for holidays. For instance, at Ponta do Ouro area most people who claimed that were in Mozambique in business brought children (10 out of 15) and motorbikes or jets (seven out of 15), which shows that business was not the only important objective! Similarly, at Namaacha border the three businessman also brought children with them as well as boats, box trailers and motorbikes (one of them even brought simultaneously one boat and one box trailer). At Inhambane only two people claimed that business was their objective in Mozambique. In this manner, results given in this report are treated as if all interviewed persons were effectively tourists. The Passengers Table 6 shows the average number of people per vehicle as well as the overall proportion of adults and children at the different study areas. It can be seen that at Inhambane the children fraction is lower and adults fraction is higher than in Ponta do Ouro and Namaacha areas, maybe as a result of the longer trip needed to go from South Africa to Inhambane, that can be a problem for families with children. From Namaacha and to Ponta do Ouro, on the other hand, the trips are much shorter and the beach conditions are still excellent so children are often taken along. Table 6. Average number and correspondent percentage of adults and children at the three study areas. Passengers Ponta do Ouro Namaacha Inhambane Adults Children Adults Children Adults Children Average Percentage

12 Note that, when compared to the Ponta do Ouro and Namaacha results of Survey I, the average number of both adults and children per vehicles is higher, along with the proportion of children. This clearly indicates that the tourists are those who bring children with them, and that the tourism vehicles are those that carry more passengers. The Vehicles As expected, the great majority of tourism vehicles at all three borders were 4x4 s, as illustrated in Fig. 4. This vehicle class is followed by the sedans, which comprise between 16 and 30% of the total. Note that it is at Ponta do Ouro that the majority of 4x4 vehicles is found (83.6%) as a result of the poor conditions of the road from the border to the beaches. 0,4% 16,0% 3,3% 3,8% 4,4% 19,4% Sedan 30,0% 4 x 4 Heavy Other 83,6% 66,7% 72,5% Figure 4. Percentage of sedan, 4x4 s and heavy vehicles crossing the borders of Ponta do Ouro (left), Namaacha (centre) and Inhambane (right). In this survey the percentage of 4x4 vehicles at Ponta do Ouro is slightly higher than that found in the previous survey. The difference reflects probably the fact that it is mostly the tourists who bring 4 x 4 vehicles, whereas the previous survey included all vehicles crossing the border, not only tourism related vehicles. This can also be observed in Namaacha s data: the percentage of tourists bringing 4x4 s is ~14% higher than that found for all vehicles. The good conditions of the roads from Namaacha to Maputo and from there to other parts of the country (other than Ponta do Ouro) allow the use of sedan vehicles, and is consequently here that the higher percentage of sedans is observed (30%). Note however that the number of observations in this area is quite low (only 30 tourists filled the questionnaires), and on the other side these differences can be a reflection of the different economical and social characteristics between the South African and Swazy tourists, even though most of the tourits crossing the Namaacha are South 10

13 Africans, as revealed in the first survey. There is, thus, a limitation on the design of the questionnaire on this survey, for it should include the nationality of the tourists. At the Inhambane area there are several beaches almost inaccessible to non-4x4 vehicles, especially during the rainy season (in which this survey took place). However, there are also plenty of beautiful beaches accessible to sedan vehicles. Hence the situation observed was intermediate between the ones at Ponta do Ouro and Namaacha. A small number of heavy vehicles (small buses) are also used by the tourists, though in a much smaller percentage at the Ponta do Ouro area, again as a result of the poor road conditions. In Inhambane hitchhikers and tourists using public transports were also present, and were included in the Other vehicle class. The results suggest that, if the condition of the roads is improved, along with the public transports, the tourism activity will increase significantly, as more tourism spots will be available to the sedan owners and public transport users. Holiday Activities A high percentage of tourists bring with them diverse camping material, food and beverages, gasoline and/or other holiday material. It is at the Ponta do Ouro and Namaacha areas that the highest percentages of vehicles towing a trailer is found (68 and 75% respectively). At the Inhambane, only 52% of the cars towed trailers. It is interesting to note that at Inhambane six vehicles were observed towing more than one trailer. Comparing the data with that of the border survey, we conclude that the percentage of towing vehicles is higher in tourism vehicles, especially at the Namaacha area. Indeed, the material transported is basically holiday related, which agrees with the previously suggested idea that the Namaacha border serves predominantly businessman. A similar percentage of vehicles towing boats and trailers were observed crossing the Ponta do Ouro border, while in Namaacha, boats outnumbered the trailers by 34%, and in Inhambane trailers were in a higher percentage (48 vs. 32%) (Fig. 5). When compared with the results from the first survey, it is possible to arrive at the 11

14 conclusion that plenty of the box trailers that cross the Ponta do Ouro and Namaacha borders are entering into Mozambique with non-tourism related objectives. These data also gives an indication of the tourists preferences. For instance, the Ponta do Ouro area is a spot of excellence for fishing and camping, being an excellent holiday area for both families with children and adventurers. The roads are however in very poor conditions and it is hard to tow both trailers and boats. The Inhambane area, on the other side, is more turned to beach and resting holidays. The roads are in good conditions but there are also some nice beaches that are not easily accessible to non-4x4 vehicles. Here, the percentage of vehicles towing boats was found to be similar to that in Ponta do Ouro but the fraction of box trailers is much higher, suggesting that the tourism here can be more inclined to resting and beach activities. 11% 1% 8% 4% 4% 25% 2% 7% 2% Trailer 11% 7% 36% 9% 48% Boat Roulotte Jetbike Motorbike Other 32% 34% 59% Fig. 5. Proportion of the different types of trailer towed by the vehicles entering at the three study areas: Ponta do Ouro (left), Namaacha (center) and Inhambane (right). This indicates that the Namaacha border is mostly used by vehicles towing boats, that probably intend to go to places like Inhaca Island, Macaneta, etc. Note that the number of interviewed tourists in this area is low (only 30) and thus the results regarding this fraction of tourists are merely indicative. Despite this, we can say that as the roads from Namaacha border are in good condition, it is possible to tow boats with relative safety and hence the tourists intending to go to the Maputo, Gaza and also Inhambane beaches, can use this border. In order to have better data regarding the tourism aspects on southern Mozambique, this survey should also have been conducted at the Ressano Garcia border. Other holiday material carried with the tourists included roulottes, which were present in similar percentages in all borders and jetbikes and motorbikes, which were more abundant among the Ponta do Ouro tourists. Note that the Ponta do Ouro area is 12

15 much closer to South Africa, and hence it is much easier to transport holiday material. Regarding the preferred aquatic activities, it was interesting to note that it is at Inhambane province that the interests are more balanced, as can be seen in Fig. 6. Note that in this question the interviewees could have more than one holiday activity and hence the percentages do not sum up to 100%. In the Other answer class it is included the simple beach walking and resting with family and friends Ponta do Ouro Namaacha Inhambane Study Area Fishing Diving Water Sports Other Fig. 6. Principal interests of tourists at the three study areas. The results show that coastal activities are the most important allurement for tourists in the area. A high percentage of tourists have two or even three favourite aquatic activities, as shown in Fig. 7, despite the relative expensiveness of these activities. 10% 1% 4% 7% 3% 12% 2% 2% One 30% 55% 23% 67% 27% 57% Two Three Four NR Fig. 7. Number of activities practiced by the tourists in the different areas. Consumables The percentage of tourists that buy 100% food & beverages or 100% fuel in Mozambique is very low, being higher in Inhambane area (see Fig. 8). Probably because it is difficult to transport that type of consumables for such a long trip. The 13

16 great majority of tourists bring a certain amount of these resources from South Africa and there are even some tourists that bring 100% of these. The proportion of tourists that did not buy any consumables in the country is, however, underestimated, as certainly some people that did not respond to this question are in fact included in this answer option, which was not available to tick in the questionnaire. Hence, the percentage given in the graph for the 0% resources bought in the country correspond solely to the ones that effectively wrote 0 in the questionnaire. Despite this limitation, the results can give an idea on the fraction of foreign resources directly entering the country as well as that bought inside the country. 8,4 3,3 3,9 2,8 3,3 2,2 100% 13,3 19,6 20,0 80% 34,1 27,2 0 48,0 30,0 29,6 1/3 60% 33,3 16,0 2/3 33,0 12,0 16,7 3/3 40% 24,4 22,3 20,0 NR 20% 0% 12,8 25,1 23,3 12,0 5,6 Ponta do Ouro Namaacha Inhambane 36,4 36,7 24,6 Ponta do Ouro Namaacha Inhambane Fig. 8. Percentage of food and beverages (left) and fuel (right) bought in Mozambique at the three study areas. NR = did not respond. The Stay and the Tour In respect to the accommodation type, most tourists, when coming to Mozambique, stay in lodges/beach hotels or in tents, as shown in Fig 9. The fraction of tourists using these two types of accommodation is relatively equal in Ponta do Ouro and Namaacha areas, though for the Inhambane more people use lodge/hotels than tents, as a result o a greater availability of this type of infrastructures combined to a lower number of tourists arriving at this spot and to the lack of sufficient camping sites. A small percentage of tourists use other accommodation types such as roulottes, own or friends houses. Some tourists used more than one type of accommodation per stay and consequently the percentages present in the above graph sum up to more than 100%. At the Ponta do Ouro area these comprised 6.4%, and for the tourists leaving form the Namaacha border, this corresponded to 20%, while to those at Inhambane it was 8.4%. 14

17 Lodge/hotel Tent Roulotte House Other NR 0 Ponta do Ouro Namaacha Inhambane Fig. 9. Accommodation used by the tourists in the three study areas. NR = did not respond. Most people interviewed enjoyed or were enjoying their stay and tour in Mozambique. In fact, as can be seen in Fig.10, when asked to grade their stay, most tourists classified it as good, which was followed by the excellent grade. At Ponta do Ouro and Inhambane areas, some people classified their stay as not that good and even bad. The absence of these last grades at Namaacha area is probably a result of the low number of tourists interviewed here. 1% 4% 6% 36% 33% 1%3% 2% 39% Excellent Good Not that Good Bad NR 53% 67% 55% Fig. 10. Classification of the say in the country at the three study areas (left do right: Ponta do Ouro, Namaacha and Inhambane). NR = did not respond. The average number of days spent in the country was similar for the tourists interviewed in the three areas: 10.0, 11.3 and 11.6 for interviewees from Ponta do Ouro, Namaacha and Inhambane respectively. Regarding the number of times the tourists visited the country before, it was positive to note that the vast majority of them has visited our country more than three times (see Fig. 11). This suggests that Mozambique is already an important and recurrent holiday destination especially for South African tourists. At the Inhambane area, however, the percentage of people visiting it for the first time is the highest, 15

18 suggesting that this spot has not yet become an important holiday destination for the individual tourists but its popularity is growing significantly. 46% 2% 10% 23% 23% 36% 2% 40% 1st 2nd 3rd More NR 8% 21% 64% 3% 5% 17% Fig 11. Percentage of interviewees visiting Mozambique for the first, second, third time, and more than three times. NR = did not respond. The length of the trips had a great variation between individual tourists. At Ponta do Ouro area most tourists claimed that were staying or would stay only in Maputo Province but a significant percentage also drove up to Gaza and Inhambane provinces (Fig. 12), and one vehicle even drove up to Sofala and another to Tete! Maputo Gaza Inhambane Other Maputo Gaza Inhambane Other Maputo Gaza Inhambane Other Fig. 12. Number of tourists visiting each Southern Mozambique province and other provinces in each of the study areas: Ponta do Ouro, Namaacha and Inhambane (left to right). The tourists entering through the Namaacha border were the ones most diversified in terms of provinces they have visited. Most of them intended to go to Maputo and Gaza beaches but a significant percentage (12.5%) went also to visit Inhambane. This is obviously a result of the frontier nature of this study area. It is a border from where the tourists spread to the different beaches in the country while the other two areas are effectively beaches that are per se the tourist s destination. Most of the tourists found in Inhambane entered Mozambique specifically to go to this province, as only 16% also went or intended to go to Maputo and 9% to Gaza. Two tourists at Inhambane also had Sofala in their itinerary, five had Tete and one 16

19 even intended to go to Cabo Delgado! Accordingly, at Inhambane the percentage of vehicles visiting more than one province was higher than for the Ponta do Ouro area and Namaacha border (see Fig. 13). 3% 4% 1%10% 10% 13% 1% 8% 5% One Two Three Four NR 85% 87% 73% Fig. 13. Number of provinces visited by the tourists at Ponta do Ouro, Namaacha and at Inhambane (left to right). NR = did not respond. Fig. 14 shows the tourists impression from contact with local authorities. The tourists that did not respond to a determined question were the ones that had no contact with that type of authority and hence could not have any opinion Traffic police Migration Customs Police Traffic police Migration Customs Police Good Medium Bad NR Note that the Traffic Police is always the one that leaves the worst impression on tourists. When asked for comments or reports, several tourists mentioned the bad treatment received by the traffic police, especially near Xai-Xai. This is a preoccupant situation, characterized mostly by constant bribes and illegal fines (with no receipts issued) targeted specially to South African vehicles Traffic police Migration Customs Police Fig. 14. Tourists opinion on different local authorities at Ponta do Ouro (top), Namaacha (centre) and Inhambane (below) areas. 17

20 Tourists Comments The comments given by the tourists can be seen in Annex III. It is positive to note that most tourists claimed that Mozambique is a beautiful place for holidays and that the people is very friendly. A significant number of tourists claimed that they would definitely come back. However, many of them also complained about the bad habits of the traffic police, as mentioned before, about the littering on the beaches and roads and the lack of dust bins; the poor conditions of the roads regarding signalisation; the presence of potholes and of lots of hazardous vehicles. Tourists also complained about the presence of a two-price system in Inhambane: there is one price for locals and another price for tourists. The high accommodation and restaurant prices and the poor hygiene conditions offered, along with the low shops stocking capacity and high prices were also referred as a worrying issue for tourists. final remarks This report provides the first preliminary account, of the tourists visiting southern Mozambique in regards to basic information such their attitudes, preferences and habits. This kind of information is essential for tourism planning and policy development. This is by no mean a complete report and should definitely be updated and complemented with information on the socio-economics of this activity in Mozambique and ways to maximize national income and benefits to local communities. The report gives a clear indication of the importance of coastal activities to the tourism industry in Mozambique and suggests that if sufficient infrastructures are made available, together with the implementation of environmental regularizations and practices, this economical activity can easily grow and bring economical and social benefits. acknowledgements MICOA, BP, IUCN and FUTUR provided funding and support for this project. The authors would like to acknowledge the entire staff that participated in the field-work and collected information. Cristina Louro is acknowledged for useful comments on earlier drafts of the manuscript. Centro Terra Viva Estudos e Advocacia Ambiental provided logistic support during the data analysis and elaboration of the report. 18

21 annexes ANNEX I. Bilingual material (stickers and brochures) produced in Portuguese and English and used during the Boas Vindas 2000/2001 Campaign. English and Portuguese versions of the windscreen tickers English and Portuguese brochure showing the ten golden rules to be used by tourists

22 ANNEX II. Sheet used by surveyors during border surveys (Survey I) CAMPANHA BOAS VINDAS 2000 Data Operador Fronteira Tipo de viatura Matricula Atrelado Barco Numero Material Lig Car 4x4 Pes Mz Sa Sw Zm Out Rou Atr Jet 1 m 2 m Adu Cri Pes Sub Sky Out

23 ANNEX III. Questionnaire filled by tourists as part of Survey II.

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25 ANNEX IV. Comments provided by tourists. Questionnaires from Inhambane: - No problems! - Enjoyed my stay. Very friendly people. Recommend it to my friends. - Notamos melhorias em todas as viagens que fizemos nos últimos quatro anos. Praias: falta de contentores de lixo (ou pessoal de limpeza). Poluição sonora: tira o encanto do silêncio da natureza. Estradas de acesso sem manutenção (buracos, falta de sinalização). [Translation: We noticed improvements in all trips we made in the last four years. Beaches: lack of dustbins (or cleaning staff). Sound pollution: takes away the enchantment of Nature. Accesses with no maintenance (potholes, lack of good signalisation).] - Even though I am a Mozambican citizen, we have appreciated not only the resorts but also importance of this research for improvement of tourism in our country being it healthy and merciful. - We were very upset about the amount of people who come to Tofo, and there were no ablution facilities or dustbins for the rubbish on the beach. The majority of vehicles on the road are a road-hazard, buses mostly. - This is a great country. Police authorities need to be taught in public relations because tourism is a major income to Mozambique. Please allow permits for beach driving for 4 wheel vehicles (cars and bikes). If one is driving the dunes should be punished. - We enjoyed our stay, very friendly people. Beautiful sea but the traffic police intimated us at 12km from Xai-Xai as well as our friends. - Are visas really necessary? Traffic cops are very strict & fines very high. Why can t we get a permit to drive on the beach? Children & old people find it difficult to reach the beach (hot sand). Shops shouldn't have two prices. - Mozambique is improving a lot. We have seen many things that have changed but there is some other things to change: full of rubbish along the beach and in the roads. - The people are friendly and the town clean. Beautiful scenario. - I must compliment the authorities on increasing their vigilance particularly around the environment. Mozambique is filled with friendly people. We need to find a want to increase the facilities for the authorities to improve the control of the environment. - Realizing the (civil) war people suffered from, it is nice to see things are improving. Tourism has still to be developed but on the other hand too many tourist will not attract some kind of tourists. Next time will visit the north. Till next time!!!!! - No problems. Traffic police giving too many problems to tourists, and not paying any attention to road unworthy Mozambican vehicles. Traffic officers wanting bribes to let you go and also holding onto car papers and licences. - Mozambique is a country where the people are becoming friendly. Living is simple, which is what is needed for an holiday. I will be back again. - Theft is a problem. Stole camera & petrol canister. I enjoy Mozambique very much. I am considering investing in a house in Pandane. It would be good if the theft problem could be sorted out. - We would support the shops more if they were better stocked, i.e. fresh or frozen meat & groceries. Roads are a great improvement!!! 19

26 - Stop being harassed by police. Water was a big problem. Place was littered with dirt. - Wonderful country - everyone very friendly. Will definitely be back. Thank you! - It is very expensive. Over priced. I will come back. - Government + local people have been very helpful + friendly. - Had a bad experience with the traffic police (just outside Xai-Xai). Fined R1000 for crossing a white line. They denied to give a receipt on request. At Barra Reef 5 other groups had the same experience, and all ended up paying R1000 without receipts. - Beautiful country. Friendly people. Will be back! - Pleasantly surprised by the help received from interpreters at the Komatiport/R. Garcia border. We experienced only positive responses from officials. Thanks for a wonderful holiday! - Travelling through villages causes problems: traffic signs not shown; traffic police fines. We support local organizations (school, soccer team & church) in the community. Very good relation with local community over 7 yrs & very well treated by municipal officials. Thanks! - Better policy and roads from Maputo northwards. - Fines given when there are no road signs to indicate the speed limit. We were travelling at not more than 15km/h on a hill (towing a ton), and were fined R500 for high speed. - We enjoyed our stay and had no problems. The beaches need to be provided with proper waste disposal bins and toilet facilities need improving. Also showers would be a good idea. - No water! Make it easy for us to make our own investment. - Very relaxing stay, friendly people, great food. I'll be back! - Fantastic holiday; wonderful people, will definitely return. Traffic police seem out to nail tourists unreasonably: we were stopped for going at 82 km/h in a 80 zone & had to pay a R500 fine. After arguing the point and demanding a receipt we were let of. - Corruption among traffic police is rife in isolated areas. The various attitudes among them are astonishing. Bribes are blatantly asked for & really discourages tourism. Otherwise it is beautiful country. Thank you. - Great country - has lots of potential!!! - Litter needs to be cleaned of (specially on the new year). Beautiful country. - Feel that the traffic police targets South African drivers. Speed traps read 100 km/h even though i was travelling at 80km/h. - Traffic signs very bad where speeds are concerned & need replacing/reassessment. Very beautiful country needing infrastructure and entrepreneurship. Also a policy on cleanliness, etc. - Sabemos que Moçambique está em vias de desenvolvimento mas ficaríamos bem impressionados se os agentes responsáveis pela higiene/ambiente fossem mais ponderantes na sua responsabilidade - há muita falta de atenção na remoção do lixo, o que perturba a natureza. - Gostaríamos de voltar a ver Moçambique em melhores condições nas áreas de turismo e municípios. O departamento que tem a ver com a limpeza tem que tomar a peito a situação do Tofo. Todos já estão sabendo o que é o Tofo quanto ao lixo e poluição sonora. 20

27 - We love Mozambique. I had the best holiday in Mozambique. We are so lucky to have come here, it makes me want to travel all over Africa because the people are so nice and the place is so beautiful. - Las personnas son muy agradables - Excellent Stay. - Mi cuarto dia en Moçambique, y de momento tudo esta bien. - We love Mozambique and hope & trust that it will go from strength to strength. - We have just arrived so it is still quite soon to talk about Inhambane. By the moment everything is OK. The information office staff is really nice and helped us a lot. - The big problem is transport. The buses leave so early that it is dark and therefore unsafe. The people, restaurants and museums have very good beer. Standards of sanitation in accommodation very low. No excuse for dirty toilets and shower areas. - Enjoyed stay. - Very good. - Nice beach at Barra, beautiful people. - Conserve the coastal zone - do not overdevelop beachfront areas. - Much can be achieved with tourism as you have a beautiful country and friendly people. Improvement could be made on some of the roads (around Vilankulos & more signs to indicate speed limits would help). - Border crossing should be easier and quicker. Visas should be abolished. Electric power should be reliable. Shops do not stock enough. - Mozambique is a great country with very friendly people. There are some things to improve but i am sure the country will make its way in the future - The roads have improved a lot - beautiful country. Good fishing & diving - Good food. - Friendly people. - I got a speeding fine 23 km north off Xai-Xai. My speed was 91 km/h. I was told that on the open road a vehicle towing a trailer is restricted to 70 km/h. I was also told that there were signs to that effect at the border. Those were not evident. - You have a wonderful country & it is a experience every time to visit it. The people are friendly & helpful. Unfortunately one experience very bad is the traffic police - they are unfair & one get the impression that they rob you by unfair fines. - Inhambane is a very nice place. Clean + friendly. - Customs officials at the border & control points (Xai-Xai & Chidenguele) makes it difficult for tourists. Lack of info available - rules not known. Traffic police is a nightmare for tourists. Speed limits not known; officers don't know english. - Are visas really necessary? Suggest that you sell a year permit to drive on the beach. Why do shops have two prices? Clean Tofo (very dirty). Stop fining visitors - they come to the country for holidays and to spend money. - Traffic police is corrupt and is going to spoil the tourism. I was fined for travelling at a speed within the limit. And despite protesting I was told to pay or face jail sentence. Stop this corruption because it is spoiling an otherwise beautiful holiday venue. - Mozambique has heaps of potential. A truly beautiful country. A few minor complains: i am against vehicles on beaches but due to the lack of shade & extreme sand temperatures, limited access to certain areas should be investigated. Locals drive on beaches. Otherwise keep it up! 21

28 - Beautiful country. Lovely people. I will definitely come back. One of the most beautiful places in the world. I love it here! - A great place to be!! - Had a very bad experience with the "controllers" traffic police outside Xai-Xai. Fined for R500.00, which was completely unfair as I was not speeding. The officials were very unfriendly & threatening. Such incidents will chase tourists away from Mozambique. - People very friendly. Country is beautiful; standard of living has improved. We are enjoying our stay - A wonderful country. - This is a beautiful country, with potential to tourism. There are many opportunities for local business development. Resources should be developed & protected -have seen damage being done by fishing that take long time to recover. Wish you well with your effort - People were friendly. Country beautiful. Will come back. Thank you. - We found it inconvenient that credit cards are not accepted by petrol stations. - Mozambique is a beautiful country. They need more banks! - We needed info on places to visit in Mozambique. We asked and received valuable info. Please continue with the provision of this service. Bad experience: we stopped to make a U-turn and were chased away by a traffic officer who was investigating an accident. - Great Country - people very friendly. Thank you. - We received a fine for stepping a white line (which was untrue), and another for exceeding the speed limit when we were travelling slowly behind a bus - the traffic police couldn t tell exactly what speed we were at. They are thieves ruining tourism. - We are confused as to what the law is. Traffic signs are non existent but we are constantly harassed at roadblocks speeding fines are issued at will and seems to reflect corruption. The people are generally very friendly and we enjoyed our stay. - A good visit except he R fine for 6 km over the speed limit & the bribe of R for turning into a one way with no sigh. - Obvious corruption by traffic police who take spot fines with no receipts. Obvious arrogant and provocative attitude by police officials in Inhambane. - Beautiful country to visit. Both my opinion and that of the tour group. All the people we have met have been very friendly & helpful. More advertising needs to be done in Europe to get visitors to Mozambique to increase the number of tourists. - Very relaxed holiday, beautiful country. The place has potential, just the beach has to jack up. - proper road signs regarding speed limits; proper roads; clean drinking water; electricity at camping sites; hot showers in camping sites; there are beautiful beaches, but they are not clean. - We have not many things to say but we stayed in a noisy time & it was really difficult to sleep. So what can we say? - Beautiful, friendly people, would come again. - I love Mozambique but I think they could promote tourism better as it has much to offer. I find the police aggressive towards tourists and the fines are much too high. Thy take up half our spending money. The roads have improved. - Inhambane area is a paradise and Tofo is no. 1! - Excellent and friendly service. Very helpful office of tourism. Thank you. 22

29 - Diving is fantastic. People are also nice. We really enjoyed. - Beautiful country with excellent seafood, but poor facilities for toilets and washing. Friendly service all over. - Mozambique is a beautiful spot. You need a shop/market in Tofo. Very friendly local people. Thanks for having me! - Beautiful country with friendly people. A great undiscovered tourism destination. - Everything is very good. No comments. - I thought that people are very nice, kind and pretty much on time. Sometimes I think its scary to walk at night. But so far nothing dangerous has happened. I am looking forward to enjoy the beach here! Was surprised that some people speak english here, too! - You have a great and beautiful country - protect it for the future! Only problem is people stopping for bribery. - Only problem is the system to obtain visas (drive to Ponta one/two days later). - Fined for no reason. This is not good for tourism. - A great place to travel. It is my firts time here but i will come back. The locals are very friendly the only down points is the language problem. However I did find many people who spoke english and most people were very helpful. - Lovely country - Muito bem assistidos por agentes da polícia & fronteira. Condições começam a melhorar. Na estrada Maputo-Beira os machibombos/carrinhas param no meio da estrada o que pode causar acidentes. - Wonderful - don't let the coastline become spoilt like South Africa's dolphin coast. - Roads after Xai-xai have lots of potholes which can be fixed by locals. These caused a lot of damage and accident. Buses and heavy duty vehicles travel too fast and can cause accidents. Questionnaires from Ponta do Ouro - Happy to be here! - Some vehicles drive on the beaches (specially Mozambicans). Only one launch site should be present and used by everybody. - Clean beaches excellent. All camp facilities are excellent. Will come back. - Everyone very friendly & helpful. Beach & sea clean & unspoilt. Accommodation was fine, other than a gas leak (hot water). Please make sure vehicles stay off the beach. Jet skis shouldn t be allowed in bays where people swim. Turtles & quiet will bring tourist. - Its the first time for me at Ponta do Ouro and the road was not clear. People were driving on the beaches where they were not allowed, and fishing in restricted areas. - Great country. Ponta Dobela is beautiful. Encourage tourism. - The hotel accommodation was absolutely disgusting. The water was revolting and stained everything. However, everything else was superb. Loved the beaches and the sea. There is a bit of litter problem which spoils the beauty. Mozambique is a beautiful country & we enjoyed it. - Electricity is not effective enough. Rather work on the lines out of season, not when the tourists are visiting. Visa application dreadful needs to be addressed. - Can clean the litter up. 23

30 - Music of selfish individuals was far too high from 9 pm - 3am. Otherwise it was nice. - Thank you for the lovely time we spend in your country. - The procedures to obtain a visa in South Africa are tedious. We had to stand in queue for 7 hours. I nearly cancelled my holiday. If this continues I will not come to Mozambique anymore. - Great holiday! Don't... Ponta do Ouro too much! - Great country to be developed. And made more accessible. - Fantastic! - Only complain is that we had five days of not so "nice" weather and no fish but we like Ponta do Ouro very much and will always came back, we would like to have a nice house in Ponta. What do you think about that idea?????? Thanks for everything. - We were charged over R500 to launch the boat at Ponte Malongane. As the weather was not good we used the boat only six times. We feel this is very expensive. The port captain told us the registration fee for four years is R610 so for two weeks R500 is excessive. - Try to keep the pristine nature intact by doing conservation. - I will come again - Visas are too difficult to get hold of and much too expensive, e.g. if want to visit for a weekend. - Were fined for no reason. Bribery and corruption is unacceptable. Will not consider re-visit Mozambique. - Visas are unnecessary; traffic police are too strict and fines are very high; permits should be available to drive on the beach; shops should not have prices for locals and for tourists for they are a source of income. Tofo should be cleaned up. - Corrupt traffic police: false speeding readings, asking for bribe or alcoholic beverages. - Signage not clear. Need more signs to state rules & regulations - High corruption - We will never be back. - Metical currency should be prioritised. Accommodation very expensive. Bad treatment by the police & traffic police; dishonesty, corruption and bribery of police; unhygienic conditions of the streets; malaria; unsafe water. Low safety on roads. Hope to see improvement. - I thing that Mozambique is a beautiful country, but with a bad people. - Very beautiful country; friendly people corrupt police. - I believe that cops are cork guys because here in Mozambique they don't have anyone who they can claim. That's why they do that to people. If we want to have a nice stay in Mozambique, we must run away from that people. - Mozambique is a beautiful country but the beaches are spoilt by litter and broken glass. Pay attention to be more eco-friendly & cut down on petty-thefts! - We are very happy with southern Mozambique. I would like the access onto beaches to be controlled more strictly especially during the turtle season. - Getting visas is easy; need better information when border post is busy; unlead petrol is not available; beaches good; develop diving and fishing. - Not too bad stay. Very poor driving habits of locals. A R fine was given for no reason, and with no receipt. Petrol and food stuff very expensive. - Stopped by traffic police in Maputo two mis... (?) young men demanded that I go to the police station. I had done a very grave error. In the end they did not want to go to 24