Imagine a world where staff could work fewer days, enjoy more leisure travel, and still make a meaningful contribution to your organisation. A world where shorter work weeks are a reality.
The push for shorter work weeks is being advanced as a way of boosting employee well-being and productivity. Closer to home, the potential beneficial impacts on domestic tourism can’t be ignored. Malawi has immense tourism potential with its stunning lakes, diverse wildlife, and rich cultural heritage. Deliberate action at national and institutional levels can help boost domestic tourism.
Tie holidays to corporate social responsibility
Companies and organisations get involved in various CSR projects. They could allow and encourage employees to take a set number of short working weeks in a year in return for carrying out one day of philanthropic or conservation work.
The marketer would use a Friday morning to mentor local handicraft makers in Mulanje, Mangochi, or Salima in social media marketing skills to help them promote their crafts online. Employees could also participate in a plastic cleanup exercise by the beach. Or a banker could give a financial management talk to small and medium-scale entrepreneurs in a community.
Shorter or compressed work weeks
Employees would take their families along and would equally benefit from the engagement with the locals. It would be a learning experience for both the community and the tourists. After the activity, the family would then have the rest of the weekend to enjoy their vacation. Companies could alternatively allow employees to work compressed work weeks to qualify for an extra day off with no strings attached.
I love this Toyota Fortuner commercial below. It goes to show that being productive does not have to mean being tethered to a desk in an office. Most tourist attractions enjoy good internet connectivity, good enough to get the most essential work done. What would stop you from having a progressive Zoom meeting from a chalet in a national park?
A boon for tourism players
Local tourism properties and attractions could use this opportunity to identify issues and communities that need business support, mentoring or financial assistance and develop packages. A win for everyone involved!
Move holidays to weekends
The Department of Tourism could lobby the government to deliberately create shorter working weeks by pushing national holidays to Fridays or Mondays. These would be holidays like Kamuzu Day, John Chilembwe Day and Mother’s Day that fall in the middle of a week. Specific holidays like Independence Day or those of a global nature like Christmas and Easter would be exempt.
The whole of the second week of January could be set aside to commemorate John Chilembwe and other heroes who fought for the freedom of Malawians, but Friday could be set as the actual holiday. Then encourage people to travel to Providence Industrial Mission (PIM) to learn and participate in activities the whole weekend. Being close to Mulanje, travellers could then proceed to Likhubula or take a hike up Mulanje Mountain. Tourism players in the vicinity would also develop packages to attract people to the area.
The same idea could be used for Martyrs Day, allowing families to travel to Nkhata Bay to visit the memorial to victims of the 1959 massacre. They would also have the beautiful Lake Malawi beaches of Chintheche and Kande to enjoy for the rest of the weekend. For Kamuzu Day, tourists could visit Nguru ya Nawambe in Kasungu for a historical tour of Kamuzu’s life and by extension, visit Kamuzu Academy. Thereafter they head off either west to Kasungu National Park or east to Nkhotakota Game Reserve.
Stimulation of local economies
Having three full days would allow families to enjoy longer holidays farther away. It would also provide much-needed revenue to local tour operators, crafts makers, hotels, attractions and transportation services.
With more free days, people are more likely to explore their own country to discover hidden gems and experience unique cultural experiences.
Tidziyamba Ndife!