The image of southern Africa as a tourism destination still focuses very much around wilderness, where the ‘big-five’, eco-tourism and nature-based experiences play an important role. TFCAs comprise regions across the borders between various countries (Lebombo, Greater Limpopo TFCA, Chimanimani), where the different component areas have different forms of conservation status, such as private game reserves, communal natural resource management areas and hunting concessions. TFCAs can play an important role in speeding up tourism conservation areas development in Mozambique.



TFCAs are not an end result, and greater focus must be placed on their role in the tourism landscape, with emphasis on the linkages between the TFCAs and the coast (bushbeach linkages) in order to maximize impact and create a platform for investment attraction and growth. It is strategically important for Mozambique to link into the more developed tourism markets in neighbouring countries, to promote Mozambique as an add-on destination to these countries (mostly South Africa but also Swaziland and, once recovered, Zimbabwe and the neighbouring countries in Northern Mozambique, including Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania) and to make effective use of infrastructure in these countries (mainly international airports, travel agencies and tourism operators).


IUCN defines “protected area” as a portion of land and/or sea especially dedicated to the protection of biological diversity and of natural and associated cultural resources, and managed through legal or other effective means (IUCN 1994). The sub-Saharan African countries own a tourism niche market known as “nature-based tourism” supported by conservation areas. The most benefited are the Eastern and Southern Africa countries, which have a wide variety of wildlife. In their conservation areas network attraction is not only limited to the charismatic mega-fauna, but it also extends to the whole wildlife that can be found in its natural state. Tourists are therefore attracted to conservation areas due to their natural state, varied wildlife and the rich cultures endowed with sociocultural traditions.


The word “safari” is used for promotion in international and domestic markets to mean the “adventure-based tourism” that has captured the interest of many tourists. Africa is also well known for its compelling images of tropical life, palm fringed beaches and seas teaming with life. Those who aspire to visiting Africa, particularly for leisure and adventure, are strongly motivated by a desire to experience Africa in its natural and pleasant state.


The word “safari” is used for promotion in international and domestic markets to mean the “adventure-based tourism” that has captured the interest of many tourists. Africa is also well known for its compelling images of tropical life, palm fringed beaches and seas teaming with life. Those who aspire to visiting Africa, particularly for leisure and adventure, are strongly motivated by a desire to experience Africa in its natural and pleasant state.

Tourism businesses and destinations that thrive in the future will either be global players competing with brand power and economies of scale, or they will be small actors with a clear focus and specialised products, able to survive because they have little competition and understand their products far better than global players. Many African destinations are currently operating as niche players, primarily promoting wildlife as their unique selling point. However, only being a niche player is not sufficient for the Country to create required economic and social benefits. Mozambique has to focus and prioritise the delivery of a mix of projects that will make it a global player and create the environment for different scales of project development.