Local tourism investors in Livingstone have appealed to government to save them from folding up because hoteliers and lodge owners have allegedly monopolized every tourism opportunities.
Mukuni Park Association of curio-sellers’ chairperson, Evans Musili said most hotels and lodges have began selling curios, thus preventing tourists from visiting Mukuni Park where they could find a variety of curios.
Mr. Musili asked the Minister of Tourism, Catherine Namugala to personally visit local tourism providers and listen to their cries.
“We are appealing to the Minister to help us. She should identify and visit these small-scale entrepreneurs to hear there cries otherwise hoteliers and lodge owners are kicking us out of business. In the end, we will remain with nothing to do,” he said.
He said established investors such as Sun International Hotel and other hospitality providers should not be allowed to monopolize everything in terms of tourism.
And Mr. Musili said tourism market in Livingstone has in the last one month recorded the lowest number of tourism clients this year mainly due the South African Airways that has not been coming into Livingstone following recent elections in South Africa.
“Also partly due to the South African Airways which has not been moving due to the election period in that country and the fright has been the major transporter for tourists since Zambia Airways collapsed,” he said.
He said curio sellers’ hope was now on the forthcoming 2010 world cup when an influx of tourists is expected to be recorded.
Another curio-seller, Lucky Kapalu said local tourists were very difficult to deal with because most of them prefer to purchase products at a lower price.
“Usually they would not buy up to three smaller items maybe just costing K15, 000 total. Even then you still have to negotiate. Chinese tourists do not even usually buy, they can move from that end to that far end without buying anything,” he said.
The tourism industry is one of the sectors that were adversely affected by the global economic crisis.
ZANIS
I have to say, the essence of letting the independent curio makers not only helps them but also helps to uphold the identity of Zambia and its people as tourists get in direct contact with them…Please save the business person on the grassroots!! Save our identity!!! Namugala, think of the grassroots and the people who actually make the curios out of their own talents!!
Even if you cry your lungs out, the goverment is too dumb to listen to your cries! just brace yourselves!
…mwebantu its called competition. What hoteliers are doing in Zambia, they did and still do in Zimbabwean as well as South Africa and other countries and yet the locals and international curio dealers still thrive in those countries. Maybe you should visit South Africa and see how they do it. Here Hotelier are not their only rivals but Curio dealers from other African countries too. I personally know a Zambian guy that deals in that, and he is doing well. “If you cant beat them join them” How? you figure it out
Sell at a cheaper price than the hotels and also supply the hotels! That’s what happens everywhere.
The problem in Livingstone vis-a-vis tourists is that hotels such as the Sun have total control over the tourists. When the tourists arrive they are collected from the airport in special hire buses and they are driven straight to the hotel(s). As a matter of fact, the touring package is prepared before they arrive in Livingstone. Very few of the tourists actually have a walk about in town. It is therefore very hard to believe that Livingstone is the tourist capital of Zambia because tourists are a rare sight in the Livingstone town centre where the Mukuni Park curio-sellers are based. The only answer is for these sellers to be aggressive in the way they do business. I believe it is not hotels that sell curious, rather it is business people that rent shops in the hotel lobbies.
There is nothing more for myself to add here. Mrs Maestro said it brilliantly( did not know the young man was married, fellows find good women they are a blessing from God)our bululus in L.stone should buckle up and force Government to market that town. With Zimbabwe out for all these years, you would have thought we could have marketed ours to higher levels, no the as usual just kept on talking, and scared more tourists by not even saving the only airline that Zambia had even before independence MAS/Roan Air/Zambian airways. Zambians even in business need to learn how to fight, not always crying about the least challenge. Livingstonians need to come as one and sell their beloved town to tourists; let’s see they have the train Museum, Maramba put strict police service, upgrade the…