Does AI know Malawi?

DIGITAL GATEWAY — Travellers are increasingly using AI to discover destinations | AI Hub

Ask artificial intelligence (AI) to recommend a holiday destination in Africa and Malawi may not be the first name that comes up.

That could become a problem for a country whose tourism industry is increasingly looking to AI to attract visitors.

But what happens when a traveller actually asks AI about Malawi?

A series of questions about the country produces a detailed picture of its tourism attractions.

Ask for the best places to visit in Malawi and the familiar names emerge: Lake Malawi, Liwonde National Park, Majete Wildlife Reserve, Mount Mulanje, Nyika National Park and Zomba Plateau.

Ask for a wildlife holiday and Liwonde and Majete feature prominently. Ask about hiking and Mount Mulanje and Nyika become obvious choices. Ask about beaches and water-based activities and Lake Malawi comes to the fore.

The answers are broadly consistent with Malawi’s own tourism information. The official Visit Malawi website lists Lake Malawi, Mulanje Mountain, Majete, Liwonde, Nyika, Zomba Plateau and the Kungoni Cultural Centre among its top destinations.

Malawi Tourism similarly describes Liwonde as one of the country’s leading wildlife destinations, with boat safaris along the Shire River, while Majete is promoted as a major wildlife and conservation destination.

Mount Mulanje is also well represented online, with Malawi Tourism describing it as the country’s highest peak and a destination for hiking, trekking and climbing.

So, does AI know Malawi?

The immediate answer is yes.

But that is only half the story.

The more revealing question is: how easily can a traveller discover Malawi without already knowing to ask for it?

A tourist who asks an AI assistant to recommend African destinations may receive a broad list dominated by countries and attractions with established international tourism brands and extensive digital footprints.

Once the traveller specifically asks about Malawi, however, the amount of information available expands considerably.

I is increasingly becoming another gateway through which people discover destinations. Travellers can ask where to go for wildlife, beaches or hiking, which countries offer affordable holidays and how to plan an itinerary.

The destinations appearing in those answers could influence where people ultimately spend their money.

HIKER’S CHOICE – Mount Mulanje is one of Malawi’s key destinations | Malawi Tourism

For Malawi, therefore, the challenge is not simply whether AI has heard of the country. It is whether Malawi is sufficiently visible to appear when travellers are looking for experiences rather than countries.

That is where the country’s digital tourism strategy becomes important.

The 2026 Annual Economic Report says the digitalisation of tourism processes and adoption of AI can improve efficiency, service quality and the reach of Malawi’s marketing campaigns.

It proposes expanding digital platforms, improving ICT infrastructure and adopting AI tools for tourism service delivery and marketing.

Malawi is also experimenting with AI directly.

The UNDP Malawi Accelerator Lab supported the development of an AI-for-tourism platform known as Mlondola. The platform was designed to collect information from online travel platforms such as Booking.com, TripAdvisor and Airbnb and use it to generate insights for the tourism sector.

Mc Donald Nyoni of the UNDP Malawi Accelerator Lab said the aim was to help the Ministry of Tourism access real-time sentiment data to inform policy and sector development, while tourism businesses could use the feedback to improve service delivery.

The development of Mlondola suggests that Malawi is beginning to look at AI not only as a marketing tool but also as a way of understanding visitors and the experiences they have.

But the technology also exposes a potential weakness.

A traveller can ask AI about Mount Mulanje and receive information about its height, trails and activities. The official tourism website provides detailed information about the mountain, including its geography, hiking opportunities and access.

But what about a smaller attraction?

What about a community-run tourism project, a local guide or a small lodge whose information exists mainly offline?

If such information is difficult to find online, there is less material for AI systems to use.

This could create a new divide within the tourism industry.

Businesses with websites, online reviews, booking platforms and regularly updated information may be easier for AI systems to discover than smaller operators with little digital presence.

That matters because Malawi’s tourism offering extends well beyond the destinations already familiar to international travellers.

The official tourism website lists attractions and activities across the country, including Chintheche, Chongoni Rock Art, Dedza, Dzalanyama Forest and Ntchisi Forest.

The challenge is getting those places into the digital conversations that increasingly precede a holiday.

Former tourism Minister Vera Kamtukule has argued that this is precisely where Malawi needs to focus.

“Having a beautiful destination is no longer enough. We must also be discoverable, searchable, bookable and shareable,” Kamtukule said.

Malawi Tourism Council Board Chairperson Justin Dzinkambani has similarly called for greater use of digital tools to expand the country’s market reach.

But there are limits to what AI can do.

It cannot make an inaccessible attraction accessible. It cannot reduce the cost of international flights or repair a road.

It can also produce information that is incomplete, outdated or simply wrong.

That means Malawi’s AI strategy cannot be separated from a more basic task: maintaining accurate, comprehensive and accessible information about its tourism industry.

The country already has a digital foundation. Visit Malawi provides information on destinations, accommodation, transport, visas, activities and travel planning, while Malawi Tourism provides information on destinations and tourism experiences.

The question is whether that information is sufficiently comprehensive and current to ensure that AI systems can find it, understand it and present it accurately to potential visitors.

That may ultimately be the real AI race for Malawi.

Not simply teaching machines to promote the country, but ensuring they have enough reliable information to represent it properly.

When the next traveller asks an AI assistant where to go in Africa, Malawi does not necessarily need the machine to know everything.

It needs the machine to know enough.

Enough to mention Lake Malawi.

Enough to find Liwonde and Majete.

Enough to recommend Mulanje to a hiker.

And enough to find the small lodge, local guide or community attraction that might otherwise remain invisible.