and Arts Permanent Secretary Stephen Mwansa (second from far left),
ZTB managing director Felix Chai;la (third from Mr Mwansa) and others
during a cocktail hosted for RETOSA delegates in Livingstone at
Chrismar Hotel on Wednesday night
GOVERNMENT is currently spending US$ 2.4 million to market Zambia’s tourism sector on the international market.
Tourism and Arts Permanent Secretary Stephen Mwansa said yesterday that the money which the country spend to market tourism sector on international market was less than US$ 13 million which Zimbabwe is spending.
Mr Mwansa said South Africa is spending US$ 180 million to market tourism sector on the international market.
He said that the Government was doing a lot in ensuring that the Zambia’s tourism sector was marketed internationally.
He said Government had also done a lot to market Mfuwe which host the famous Luangwa South National Park to international market.
“We are currently spending US$ 2.4 million to market Zambia’s tourism on international market, Zimbabwe is spending US$ 13 million and South Africa is spending US$ 180 million.So as the Government we are doing a lot,”Mr Mwansa said.
He said there was need for the private sectors in the country to appreciate the role which the Government was doing in marketing the country’s tourism to international market.
Hotel Catering Tourism and Allied Workers Union of Zambia Regional Secretary Zephaniah Kaleya accused the Government of not doing enough to market Zambia’s tourism sector on the international market.
Mr Kaleya said that areas like Mfuwe which have so much to offer in terms of tourism were not being given enough publicity stating that marketing of Zambia’s tourism has concentrated on Livingstone.
He said that while Zambia records an annual figure of 1 million tourists visiting the country, other countries record such figures within four months.
He said that it was sad that Government was failing to take advantage of confusion that has rocked some countries in West Africa to woo tourists to Zambia, which was a peaceful country.
Mr Kaleya has challenged foreign tour operators in Mfuwe to ensure that they use local radio stations to market themselves unlike only marketing their business in their countries of origin.
This jacket PS needs to be fired he is very playful never in the office but wasting tax payers money going all around the would when we have stuff in our embassies to perform those duties. Very useless chap.
Better still have running toilets and a functional sewerage system at Mfuwe Aiport and also improve facilities first before asking tourists to come and shi.t in the bush.
These are real thieves that thrive on stupid uneducated Zambians and those that want to loot with them.
True, Iwe PS 1) Selling a destination that has the most expensive fuel, telephone, internet, air fare costs in the region wont do you any good, you advertse all you want its going down the drain. 2) Sit with the SME tour operators Zambian based operators (not just Sun) and LISTEN to their suggestions 3) Go and study what incentives the governments of Zimbabwe, S.A, Kenya and Tanzania are availing local operators and the industry at large 4) Go and check your stats of traffic between L/stone and South Luangwa (Mfuwe) give us stats not assumptions. 5. What incentives have you put in place to promote domestic tourism other than making noise? Those countries you mentioned have a thriving domestic toursim sector, coincidence? NOT I can go on and on but you wont listen anyway so go waste the $2m
that can only pay for a 30 second TV add in the US market!
Mrs Lungu can you Help Raise Awareness Against Women’s Violence,Physical Abuse and Sexual Harassment as a result of Clothes they Choose to Wear!!!!
Banamayo bachula pafula.
The problem is thieving. Probably the dollars are being looted through fake companies.
TOURISM MARKETING IN ZAMBIA IS JUST ONE FAILED PROJECT THROUGH AND THROUGH. I REALLY DON’T KNOW THE WORK OF ZTB. THEY ARE JUST PAID FOR DOING NOTHING. I SEE A LOT OF ADVERTS ON LONDON UNDERGROUND, BILLBOARDS, MAGAZINE, LONDON (BLACK) CABS, LONDON BUSES, ETC, FOR KENYA, MOROCCO, SOUTH AFRICA, KENYA, ETC. I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANY MARKETING ARTICLE ON ZAMBIA’S TOURISM ADVERTISING ZAMBIA. IT’S A SHAME, REALLY. ALL PERSONNEL DEALING WITH TOURISM IN ZAMBIA MUST FIRED TO BE REPLACED BY SERIOUS PEOPLE, WHO CAN EFFECTIVELY ADVERTISE ZAMBIA OVERSEAS AND ABROAD. WE NEED TO SEE ZAMBIA ON HIGH STREET BILLBOARDS, UNDERGROUND STNS, LONDON BUSES AND CABS, ETC IN THE CASE OF HERE.
This is folly of the highest order if I were him (PS Mwansa) I would not even bring these figures up as it is clearly evident this gov’t is doing nothing: what is $2.4m? When you are marketing a whole country it’s a drop in the ocean when you do a Cost and Benefit Analysis. Zambia should be spending 20 times than amount and that ZTB needs to shaken up get the right people in that place even if you have to get foreign consultants or people who have managed at the top in holiday package firms like Virgin, Thomas cook, Cosmos, First Choice etc who know the international market far better and have the network and contacts…run that ZTB like are private company not like a ministry dept. but separate independent entity with targets and benchmarks.
One simply needs to look at that photo it speaks volumes about the people trying to promote tourism in this country; one on a mobile phone instead of excusing himself…even Tanzania is doing a by far better job promoting tourism than Zambia; those guys even promote in EPL stadia in the UK and RSA goes as far as marketing themselves on London Buses and UK black cabs. What is $2.4m its nothing not even enough to promote on buses in London. Remove all useless deputy ministers and pointless provincial ministers use the money to market the country.
Wake up!!
No amount of money spend on advertising Zambia will work for as long as we have dirty towns. Google in Lusaka and see the pictures or videos that will come up on the Internet. Most tourists go to places by word of mouth. Check the Caribeans and you will see tourists posting videos of where they have been. How many good videos do we see about Zambia or Lusaka by tourists? The few videos one will find will be like the one a by Ennio or the Lilanda photo currently on ZWD
Google Windhoek, Gaborone or Kigali and see the difference. Where do you think many discerning tourists will go? Some tourists are young people who are not comfortable to walk on terrible Zambian streets like what we are now seeing of the once beautiful Cairo road. Compare too the ZTB website with a similar one from…
Yes you are right about the filth in the capital cities but Tourists who are coming to Zambia are not necessarily coming to admire the architecture but more interested in the wildlife and game resorts…for now its about making that journey to their destination as memorable and stress free as possible.
Jay Jay, walk on Cairo and tell me how many white skinned people you will meet there. But go to Manda Hill or Arcade you will find a good number and some of them are tourists. Yes, tourists are going to see animals but they also want to spend some time in our cities too.
@Chatafeloso Kaloso
I hear you and I’m certainly not disagreeing with the blogger…we have been stating that for years but when you start tackling that issue it becomes political as issue of street-vending, councils, party cadres, empty tins etc.. is brought in the subject.
As Telecoms billionaire Mo Ibrahim stated; “the only difference between Lilongwe and any other city in Europe ie London, Paris, Zurich, Amsterdam etc is good governance and leadership.
Besides clean cities, hotel accommodation should be made cheap. Most hotel or lodge rates in Zambia are more expensive than good hotels in Australia and Asia. On top of this, you add the high cost for travel and food. These too are chasing away tourists.
@Chatafeloso Kaloso
The question you should be asking yourself is why is it that a cost of a double room in Lusaka ie the 3 star hotel costs same one in Europe when the labour costs are low, food is cheaper etc…this is what the ministry of tourism should be doing brainstorming such issues.
Easy said than done while hoping for a miracle. What type of airports facilities do you have, how is the internet, electricity and technology? It would be easier if Zambia had its own airline directly going to where the demand is. Clean facilities not diseased attract tourists, they will not go where it is not safe. What do you have to offer because you are competing with Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique and some places have the coast line like South Africa and people love the beach and sunny weather. What is your positioning and brand strategy? You are killing animals (Trophy Hunting), Baby boomers or Grey market segmentation with disposable income are about conservation, sustainable tourism and Eco friendly destinations and don’t support this and won’t come! Think this one out.
@Chatafeloso Kaloso I hope no one ever relies on your word of mouth strategy and the reason tourism is failing in Zambia. The problem is management who don’t have a clue of what they are doing. Instead of putting money back in the sector after creating the multiplier effect, they pocket it. Marketing is key and not relying on the tourism board website. It should be done everyday and can be through partnerships with international hotel brands like Intercontinental, Protea, etc. and advertise online where the demand is whether e.g, Paris, UK, USA, Italy. There are sites like Expedia, travelocity, tripadvisor, travelzoo they can use. The Victoria Falls can’t market it’s self and needs people skills, training and education. Change management and only then you’ll see progress and change.