In Madagascar, the great ambitions of tourism

2023-06-10 09:00:00

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REPORTING. Elected fifth tourist destination by Forbes magazine, the red island intends to increase its tourist capacities.

By our special correspondent in Madagascar, Joséphine Kloeckner

The Queen’s Palace watches over the capital Antananarivo.
© Josephine Kloeckner

Published on 06/10/2023 at 09:00

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Dn the primary forest of Mantadia, in the east of the country, a family of lemurs swings from tree to tree. Big eyes and pointy noses, these primates found only in Madagascar are one of the prides of the island – and one of its greatest tourist attractions. “Here, 80% of the fauna and flora is endemic”, explains a local guide. Because the natural wealth of Madagascar has everything to attract: 5,000 kilometers of beaches and heavenly bays, islands, unique flora and grandiose baobabs. A wealth that the government would like to see brought back more to the Malagasy: President Andry Rajoelina has made it one of the priorities of his “Emergence Plan”. While the tourism sector accounted for 40,744 direct formal jobs in 2022, the goal is to make…

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