The Ministry of Tourism and Arts has revealed that preparations for the Zambia-China Year have begun.
The Zambia-China Year is an event meant to enhance the overall visibility of Zambia in China and promote Zambia as a preferred tourist destination and investment for the Chinese.
Speaking through a statement made available to ZANIS by Ministry of Tourism and Arts Public Relations Officer Sakabilo Kalembwe, the 2019 Culture year is a culmination of earlier efforts to promote Zambian Culture and Arts in China which began with the ‘Road Show’ in 2016 and the Zambia Week in Sichuan Province in 2017 that have brought the attention of the Chinese authorities.
Mr Sakabilo said it is envisaged that after the Zambia-China Culture Year 2019, Zambia intends to take the opportunity to strengthen its cultural and tourism bilateral relations in programs such as Ministerial Visit by the Minister of Tourism and Arts, Zambia National Dance Troupe tour of China and Zambia Tourism Promotion and Zambian Arts Exhibition.
He stated that the visit by the Minister will be in two cities in China for four days.
Mr Sakabilo noted that the main focus for the Ministry will be to drive maximum benefits from the Zambia – China year bilateral agreement by promoting tourism investment for Zambia by among other activities showcasing Zambia’s investor ready sites to the Chinese potential investors during the year.
He added that the event will also facilitate business to business match making in order to open up and link Zambian investors to potential Chinese partners, and mobilizing Chinese operators of tourism enterprises in order to encourage them to take advantage of the Zambia – China year by vigorously promoting their facilities and products to the Chinese markets in China.
Mr. Sakabilo said China is an advanced nation with a population of 1.4 billion people depicting economies of scales in every sector including that of culture from which Zambia can learn in enhancing its cultural products on the one hand and also as a cultural tourism market to export its cultural products on the other hand.
All very well, except this government has a knack for giving away our resources to foreign governments for a pittance in deals that could be better crafted to benefit our people. The deal on the Kafue National Park is ridiculous to give away at 20% stake for the government!! It ought to be revisited for maximum benefit to the Zambian. We have no excuse for being poor for all the resources God endowed this country with. The tragedy is to have selfish leadership who want to fatten their bank accounts at the expense of the nationals!
Your country is a family business
Son of the Soil…we have incompetent people running the country. So you can’t really expect much. They just give away our resources for free. They don’t know how to negotiate effectively. And now they’re advertising Zambia in China for more Chinese exploiters to pour into our country. They need to be voted out in 2021 to save the country from further damage.
Why always blad Chinese, do you burgers never learn???
Promoting tourism should not be based on one country, this does not sounds to be above board . Why single out one country. Is there no potential tourists from all other nations in the world? China this , China that, hey!!
Excellent, most honoured country friend. YES let’s have a Chinese New Year celebration. In London, it generates a lot of business. Zambian Tourism struggles with providing tourists with activities they can enjoy. Apart from our Game Parks what else can a tourist do? Curio markets sell niknaks you need to through out after a while. This is tourism board thinking right.
Let’s encourage Chinese sector to open lots of good restaurants too to cater to tourists. Open up Zambian Tourism. Sort the environment, clean UP please PF.
It’s clear Upnd and other opposition zealots hate China bcos she makes pf look good to the voters. The West hate China bcos she is winning the competition for influence around the world.
Someone wrote and keeps posting articles on the Facebook page of the Ministry of Tourism and Arts and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife. Very interesting views, suggestions and warns of the dangers of doing business with China. I sincerely hope the Zambian government is serious and takes this advice.