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This Thursday, in the heart of the Madagascan capital, will be launched the “Salon Bons Plans Tourisme” which displays around thirty exhibitors. The aim is to promote national tourism, since the borders have always been officially closed since March, and to offer visitors promotional offers to try to revive this endangered sector. This Tuesday, during a press conference, the Minister of Tourism explained his strategy.

With our correspondent in Antananarivo, Sarah Tétaud

Otherwise international or regional tourism, we must promote domestic tourism »Explains the Minister of Tourism, Joël Randriamandranto. Hence the creation of this show ” Tsenaben’ny Fizahan-Tany “. ” The objective is to be able to present to visitors the promotional products on which all tourist operators in Madagascar have made an effort at the price level in order to offer products accessible to all Malagasy.

Rosella Andriantavy, from the tour operator “Zahasoa”, will have a stand during these three days of the fair. She welcomes the initiative, but admits that the challenges are high for companies like hers that usually worked with a predominantly international clientele. ” We must try to find the formula that will allow nationals to take advantage of the tours that we usually offer to foreigners. We make proposals that are adapted to the purchasing power of nationals, price reductions with service providers and partner hotels. But making these efforts is not always easy », She admits.

Borders will remain closed

Many operators complain about the aid, too thin, brought to the sector. Postponement of taxes, charges, but no suspension, as has just been done in Senegal.

On this subject, Minister Joël Randriamandranto replies: “ The state has made enormous efforts. Deferrals mean that there is a shortfall in the state coffers. And today, the state budget must be balanced. We must not go into a national economic decline because we have taken decisions that are not in line with reality and what the Malagasy state can do. Today we cannot do more.

But what everyone is waiting for in the country is the reopening of international airlines. Only, on this point, the minister was clear. ” We do not want to import the health crisis that there is internationally because today, we cannot assume a second wave in Madagascar. So the decision, it’s to keep our borders closed.

But for how long? No one in the government dares speak out on the issue.