Portuguese government wants to bolster cooperation, Hotel School in Mozambique

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Portuguese government wants to bolster cooperation, Hotel School in Mozambique

9:34 CAT | 27 Aug 2025

Photo: Pedro Machado/Facebook

The Portuguese secretary of state for tourism, trade and services said in Maputo on Monday that Portugal wants to strengthen cooperation with Mozambique in tourism, promising Lisbon’s efforts to push forward with the Hotel School project in that African country.

Speaking to Lusa at the opening of the 60th edition of the Maputo International Fair (FACIM), Mozambique’s largest exhibition of goods and services, which will run until 31 August, Pedro Machado said that on this visit to Mozambique his agenda is to discuss the Hotel School project, which “is decades old and still hasn’t come to fruition”.

“This is always our goal, to strengthen economic relations more and more, to reinforce the conditions so that more Portuguese companies can come to Mozambique (…). Portugal is now the 12th most competitive country in terms of tourism. We want to strengthen these ties; we want to have more and more participation from tourism itself in Mozambique,” he said.

According to Pedro Machado, Portugal wants to move forward in Mozambique with training projects in hospitality and tourism, capacity building and professional internships, including the realisation of the Hotel School initiative.

“Portugal is the only European country that has a network of public tourism schools. We therefore have training and national and international experience that we want to make available to Mozambique,” he explained.

“Secondly – tourism itself in Portugal and the Portuguese government – we’re willing to invest here in Mozambique in this Hotel School project, and I’m absolutely sure that Portuguese entrepreneurs are also willing to take part in this public-private partnership,” he added.

He also said that Portugal wants to collaborate with Mozambique in the internationalisation of both countries.

“Portugal has strong experience in agriculture, both in wine and olive oil, in industry and trade, and I’m sure that, together with the Minister of Economy, we’ll have a broad agenda to increasingly boost these bilateral relations and obviously achieve this major goal of growth,” said the Secretary of State, who has meetings scheduled with members of the Mozambican government.

Machado visited the exhibitions of Portuguese companies present at FACIM and praised the efforts of entrepreneurs to participate actively in Mozambique’s economy.

At the opening of FACIM the president of Mozambique, Daniel Chapo, promised policies to improve the business environment in the country, with a focus on strengthening legal predictability and combating corruption in the public and private sectors.

A total of 3,150 Mozambican and international exhibitors are expected at the 60th edition of FACIM, Mozambique’s largest exhibition of goods and services.

The event is being held under the slogan “Promoting Economic Diversification Towards Sustainable and Competitive Development in Mozambique”.

According to Mozambique’s government, 800 foreign exhibitors and 2,350 national exhibitors were expected to take part in FACIM, from a total of 27 countries represented.

According to government spokesman Inocêncio Impissa, the 60th edition of the fair, at the Ricatla site in the Marracuene municipal district of Maputo province, is expected to welcome around 70,000 visitors. The organisation has designated Gaza province and neighbouring South Africa as exhibitors of honour at the 2025 event.

As well as exhibitions and other business-related activities, FACIM also hosts a business forum with South Africa.

Every year, Mozambique’s largest business fair showcases Mozambique’s economic potential and business and investment opportunities in the country’s business sector and abroad, as well as other activities, including seminars, promotional sessions, and networking opportunities.

Source: Lusa