Imagine a world where you could work fewer days, have more long weekends for leisure, 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
Many companies and organisations already take part in CSR projects. They could allow and encourage employees to take a set number of short work weeks each year in exchange for one day of philanthropic or conservation work.
For example, a marketer might use a Friday morning to mentor local handicraft makers in Mulanje, Mangochi, or Salima on using social media marketing to promote their crafts online. Employees might also take part in a plastic-cleanup exercise, or a banker could give a financial management talk to small and medium-scale entrepreneurs in the community.
Shorter 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 have the rest of the long weekend to enjoy their vacation. Alternatively, companies could offer compressed work weeks so employees qualify for an extra day off, no strings attached.
I love the Toyota Fortuner commercial below—it shows that productivity doesn’t have to mean being chained to a desk. Many tourist attractions now have good internet connectivity, sufficient for essential work. What’s stopping you from holding a 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 create more long weekends by moving national holidays to Fridays or Mondays—especially those such as Kamuzu Day, John Chilembwe Day, and Mother’s Day, which often fall midweek. Holidays with fixed global or symbolic dates—Independence Day, Christmas, Easter—would be exceptions.
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!
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