Editor’s Note
**Editor’s Note:** This article explores the intersection of tourism and Madagascar’s gemstone industry, highlighting government efforts to revitalize the sector through regulatory cleanup and strategic promotion.
A delegation led by the Minister of Tourism, Roland Ratsiraka, visited the IGM, accompanied by the supervising minister, Zafilahy Ying Vah. (Photo: Kelly R.)
Madagascar is renowned as one of the world’s leading suppliers of precious stones and fine stones, both in variety and quantity. For example, more than 40% of the world’s sapphire production comes from the Great Island. A cleanup of this sector is underway to achieve encouraging results similar to the gold sector. The Minister attached to the Presidency in charge of Mines and Petroleum, Zafilahy Ying Vah, mentioned this during the visit of a delegation led by the Minister of Tourism, Roland Ratsiraka, to the premises of the Institute of Gemology of Madagascar (IGM) last Friday in Ampandrianomby. The delegation included leaders of the National Tourism Office of Madagascar (ONTM) and representatives of tourism operator groups, including tour operators and travel agencies. The objective is to promote the gemstone industry through tourism, thanks to collaboration between the two ministerial departments via the IGM and ONTM.
Regarding the IGM, it is the only training institute accredited by Gem-A of London or the Association of International Gemmology Experts on the African continent.
Furthermore, he highlighted that the IGM already has international renown in gem training and identification thanks to its laboratory. The partnership between the two ministerial departments aims to integrate this internationally renowned institute into tourism circuits and offers to promote the destination Madagascar. As a direct advantage,
To analyze a gem, three gemmology experts must be involved.
Note that Americans, Asians, Europeans, and Africans come to receive training at the Institute of Gemology of Madagascar. The country’s advantage is also having potential in raw materials. The Director General of the IGM meanwhile recalled that the level of expertise in cutting precious stones and fine stones of its students far exceeds the global average according to Gem-A of London. In fact, a lapidary competition was organized last year, and the results of the top ten were exhibited in London. Furthermore,
Not only that, the IGM trains artisans to recover unused gems for the manufacture of costume jewelry. This is a very promising market internationally.
Still within the framework of this partnership, the IGM offers training for guides on gem identification. A guide to buying precious stones in Madagascar will also be made available to tourists after organizing visits to mines and gem markets. Finally,
Navalona R.
