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| Ivato International Airport. |
Yesterday, during his descent at Ivato International Airport, Andry Rajoelina spoke a few words about the upcoming arrival of Emirates, as well as the measures to streamline operations at the airport.
A boost. The arrival of Emirates in September could accelerate the tourism sector. Yesterday, the President of the Republic did not hide his enthusiasm regarding the prospects for tourism development, which, according to him, should experience excellent performance this year, particularly with the arrival of the Emirates airline. During an interview with officials of Ivato International Airport, the tenant of Iavoloha confided that in 2023, the Big Island recorded more than eight hundred and thirty-three thousand passengers transported by air.
“At the rate things are going, according to projections, we should reach nine hundred and seventy thousand international passengers, or even a million passengers transported. This is an important step for the Big Island,” explains Andry Rajoelina in his speech.
Trigger
The arrival of Emirates, with the Boeing 777-300 ER, will guarantee seventy thousand additional seats with its four weekly services, according to the authorities of the Ministry of Transport. The Head of State also adds that “the arrival of Emirates as well as other flights will be a trigger for the tourist and economic development of the country.” However, there is still work to be done, particularly at the country’s air borders. “There are many measures that go along with this. Among these, there is the acceleration of entry procedures into the territory. People should not stay at the airport for long,” he emphasizes. Stakeholders are now busy preparing the ground for Emirates’ first service to Madagascar. High-level technical meetings are held almost every week between the authorities responsible for air transport.
For Joël Randriamandranto, Minister of Tourism and Crafts, problems at ground level can still paralyze the tourism sector and lead visitors to be reluctant to give a positive rating to the destination, particularly in terms of reception. which is reserved for them at the airport. “There are certain guides who take the passports of these tourists, especially when they are not French-speaking, and only return them when we give them money. This is what happens in most airports,” he said. Apart from these border problems, the Emirati clientele is renowned for being one of the most demanding in the world in terms of taste. We often talk about high-end tourism. Which also implies increasing the number of hotel establishments of this caliber.
Itamara Randriamamonjy