The minister was speaking on Tuesday evening in London at the World Travel Market when he hosted a cocktail and raffle draw for tour operators at the Malawi pavilion which included a courtesy return ticket to Malawi donated by Ethiopian Airlines.

“The profile of Malawi has been rising with our achievements in wildlife protection. We are the newest big five destination. We are attracting new travelers and I can assure every operator Malawi is now a profitable venture for any serious operator looking to invest in African tourism market,” Bagus said.

He said government has been committing itself to improving the sector evidenced by the recent launch of E-Visa which will reduce the process and delays tourists visiting Malawi were facing when travelling to the country.

“We remain the safest destination, very peaceful and one of the best destinations in terms of products that we offer. We remain the Warm Heart of Africa, where tourists experience the real African hospitality and natural scenic views,” the minister said.

The minister said his ministry will support any new and old players that wish to expand their investments into Malawi, arguing them to “seize the positives reviews” that have dominated the travel industry placing Malawi as one of the must destinations for travels.

The Malawi team includes the Department of Tourism, Land and Lakes Safaris, Central African Wilderness Safaris, Malawi Travel Marketing Consortium, Malawian Style, Fishermans Nest and Sunbird Hotels and Resorts.

The Raffle Draw which was won by Allison Pembridge of JK Adventures was among the most participated event which was spiced up by Malawi Gin, Premier Brandy, Linga Wine, Rab Nuts, Canforzi and Macademia nuts which saw hundreds of the tour operators at the show wipe out entire stocks within half an hour of the scheduled 2-hour cocktail.

The pavilion with a thatched hut with a background of Lake Malawi, Ingoma dancers and Mulanje Mountain and tea plantations, is also attracting most of visitors who are taking selfies and snap chats with one Mark Jerssen from Belgium describing it as a “reflection of African beauty.”