MADAGASCAR IN THE TOP 10 COUNTRIES TO VISIT ACCORDING TO FORBES MAGAZINE
Forbes, the famous American business magazine ranks Madagascar 6th out of 10 countries to visit this year. Its exceptional wealth of biodiversity has convinced several travel experts to include the Big Island in the list of Top Destinations this year.
Forbes magazine honours Madagascar as a destination. In its ranking of the top ten countries to visit this year, this leading business magazine ranks the Big Island sixth, behind Ethiopia in fifth and ahead of Mongolia in seventh. This ranking is the opinion of several travel experts, including Tour Operators. According to the magazine, the latter are conquered by the endemic fauna and flora that the fourth largest island in the world has to seduce tourists. Norman Howe, CEO of a Canadian travel company, commented in the magazine that "This wonderful country has so much biodiversity to discover, both in terms of natural beauty and unique landscapes. For flora and fauna, with more than 90% of Madagascar's endemic fauna, this is unbeatable.
Some comments following this article raise, however, the need to strengthen security measures on the Big Island. Interviewed recently by a private television channel, Jean Brunelle Razafintsiandraofa, Minister of Tourism, announced the forthcoming establishment of the "Dina" in the regions and the "andrimasom-pokonolona" or village vigilance committee to combat urban insecurity. This measure would allow tourists to travel to the places of their choice. This year promises to be an active year for the Tourism sector. During his visit to China in November 2018, the responsible minister concluded with the Chinese authorities to welcome 50,000 Chinese tourists this year. In addition to China, France and Turkey also intend to double the number of tourists who will come to Madagascar. Local actors have their work cut out for them.


The long distances
Madagascar is more than 550,000 square kilometres in size and is the fourth largest island in the world. Many parts of the island have not yet been developed in terms of traffic. Asphalt roads or roads accessible by car are therefore rare. This is a real problem, especially because of the long distances. Weather influences also play an important role: after heavy rains, the few roads are sometimes impassable and tourists can be blocked in the same place. A complete travel plan, which is best carried out by experienced local people, can provide relief in this case. That is why we take the greatest care in planning our nature and discovery stays. We adapt to the traditional rainy seasons and we always have an alternative plan in hand in case of unforeseen events. Our site offers you many possibilities to find out about our travel packages. If you have any questions, we will be happy to help you and the planning and logistics will always be personally adapted by us to the wishes and expectations of our guests.
Unfavourable accessibility
Due to the colonization of Madagascar by the French, a strong concentration on French tourists has developed on the island. For a long time, the French were the only ones to visit Madagascar. In the meantime, things have changed a little, because English, German and even Asian tourists are also coming to the red island more and more often. Nevertheless, it can be understood as an obvious gap that the direct air links between these countries and Madagascar are still a dream destination. So far, there are mainly air links from Europe that start in France. This can be considered as an additional reason for the fact that many people interested in holidays prefer other island states or islands as destinations.
No luxury holidays in Madagascar
Many people who travel to neighbouring Mauritius, for example, aspire to a luxury holiday in a class of their own: miles of sandy beaches, all-inclusive packages and many other attractions await tourists there. In Madagascar, things seem a little different: There are no luxury hotels on every street corner and those who travel to Madagascar are looking for adventure rather than well-being and a relaxing holiday. Many individual tourists who travel in small groups like to come to Madagascar. Mass tourism had never before developed in Madagascar and there is therefore still the possibility to explore individually the different national parks and nature reserves and thus to experience the multiplicity of unique experiences. Those travelling to Madagascar must be able to do without luxury and be flexible. Many homes are not luxurious and often do not meet European standards. Local conditions, which may vary from one region to another, must be accepted and it may happen that suddenly it does not go as planned. As a result, Madagascar is not yet ready for what is called mass tourism and packages. However, some areas have some luxurious hotel complexes such as Nosy Be Island. In addition, the island attracts with its breathtaking sandy beaches. After all, Madagascar offers such a rich flora and fauna that all nature lovers will be amazed.
Future prospects for tourism in Madagascar
Tourism in Madagascar should be developed more strongly in the future, or the offer should be better known. Especially in English and German-speaking countries, many people have already heard about the extraordinary island of Madagascar, but there are no attractive travel offers. For the island’s inhabitants, however, an expansion of tourism would be very important, as it would lift a large part of the population out of poverty. In addition, more money could be invested in nature conservation in Madagascar. Many advertising measures in Germany but also in the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland aim to guide tourists from these countries to Madagascar. But for these developments to have a real impact, it is important that a lot of money be invested in these areas in Madagascar itself. We have made it our duty to bring the beauties of this impressive island to the attention of people in German-speaking, Russian and Asian countries. With our various travel packages, we address the different interests of potential tourists. From culture to history to nature – everything is possible and we are happy to talk to you about your wishes for a holiday in Madagascar.