The government has made plans to launch the Domestic Tourism Strategy and an Investor’s Guide at the end of this year.
Speaking during the official opening of the Zambia Tourism Expo at Bonanza Resort in Chongwe last evening, Minister of Tourism, Rodney Sikumba says the two documents will give investors necessary information that will help them make investments in the sector, as well as set out a clear strategy on domestic Tourism.
Mr Sikumba has since called on stakeholders to take advantage of the window provided for to make submissions on the two documents.
“By next year we should be all good to go, working hand in hand, growing our domestic tourism market and attracting the best investment deals for the country,” Mr Sikumba said.
And Mr Sikumba said government will reduce the cost of doing business in the tourism sector.
He said all the challenges pertaining to high cost of business in the sector will no long exist.
He disclosed that the ministry will undertake a comprehensive review of policy, regulatory and the legislative environment which tends to produce multiplicity fees, licenses and the general red tape associated with government.
“We want quick and quality service delivery but at the right price. This can only be achieved through unit of purpose and effective collaboration with the private sector and the Tourism Council of Zambia, in particular,” he said.
The Minister also urged stakeholders in the tourism value chain to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
“To be trusted as a safe destination, our vaccination statistics must tell a better story, that’s where it starts,” Mr Sikumba said.
And speaking at the same occasion, British High Commissioner to Zambia, Nicholas Woolley disclosed that the UK government has released 100 million pound fund meant for biodiversity landscaping in six countries of which Zambia’s trans-frontier Kaza region is among the beneficiaries.
“This announcement forms part of the UK government’s ambitious commitments ahead of the COP26 Climate Change Summit and builds on successes achieved at the UK chaired G7 which saw G7 leaders commit to protect and conserve 30 percent of the world’s land and ocean by 2030,” Mr Woolsey said.
And Tourism Council of Zambia (TCZ) Chairperson Vincent Mupwaya urged players to aim for high quality service delivery as this is a major way the sector can stand out.
ZANIS reports that the 2021 Zambia Tourism Expo will run for three days.
This is a great initiative and I approve it. Zambia and Africa in general is really poor when it comes to local tourism. They expect Europeans to check in once every few years or so. And with COVID-19 wrecking havoc on the industry, it’s about time to refocus strategy on local tourism. Many people have never even seen Victoria Falls, aka the Musi-oa-Tunya in their own country.
The hotels need to reduce accommodation prices as they are ridiculously expensive. They need to understand that you make business by numbers, turnover. There is no point in having 4 guests paying $200 each (= $800)… when you can have 200 guests paying $20 each (= $4000)… do the simple maths.
Asia and most of the Western countries, it is the ‘backpacker’ that drives tourism, not the rich millionaire who…
This is a great initiative and I approve it. Zambia and Africa in general is really poor when it comes to local tourism. They expect Europeans to check in once every few years or so. And with COVID-19 wrecking havoc on the industry, it’s about time to refocus strategy on local tourism. Many people have never even seen Victoria Falls, aka Musi-oa-Tunya in their own country.
The hotels need to reduce accommodation prices as they are ridiculously expensive. They need to understand that you make business by numbers, turnover. There is no point in having 4 guests paying $200 each (= $800)… when you can have 200 guests paying $20 each (= $4000)… do the simple maths.
Asia and most of the Western countries, it is the ‘backpacker’ that drives tourism, not the rich millionaire who travels…
Can we have a concerted drive to involve local communities and schools in all aspects tourism……….
It is a disgrace that local guides in most safari camps are white South Africans and white Zimbabweans …….
Minister; we don’t have to wait for next year. 1. We have to develop parks like Kafue and lower Zambezi which are close to Lusaka. 2. Dissolve ZAWA and replace with another body. 3. We need more camp sites including RV parks. 4. Start giving workers their holidays. 5 reschedule public holidays so that they are long weekends. Etc
Well said Spaka
We have Zambians who have lived in the villages close to the animals for generations. They know the landscape and animal behaviour better than anyone – IT IS IN THEIR BLOOD TO LIVE WITH NATURE
WHY THEN HAVE FOREIGN GUIDES ? who are just a face ?
This is one area for youth employment
“It is a disgrace that local guides in most safari camps are white South Africans and white Zimbabweans …….”
This kind of reasoning is too shallow even for you, Am assuming you are a black Zambian typing from London. Let’s not focus on color or nationality, if its within the law then its fine. A poor black Zambian tour guide will barely get any clients from overseas.
Good initiative but, you need to get foreign visitors who bring forex to the country to visit. Most people talk of Zambia as a nice place to visit because of good security and that people are friendly but this opportunity is not being exploited fully. Be the prime destination for hosting regional and international meetings. You need to advertise Zambia’s potential internationally. Things don’t just happen. Let ZNBC open a regional channel that positively exposes Zambia’s diverse cultures and tourist resources to potential tourists.
Minister are you telling us a thief like Chitotela left no scandals in that ministry…what was all that moving of wildlife..two years ago?
At last a new ZP spokesperson appointed..that Ester is fortunate not be sacked but sent to Lilayi Training School as Commanding Officer
Make Lusaka ,Livingstone etc clean they’re too dirty & disorganized for urban tourism.Do you see how Kigali attracts many many tourists?
Chibolya ,Kalingalinga ,Bauleni ,Chawama ,Kamwala and even parts of Lusaka CBD are an eyesore i’m ashamed to bring my foreign friends to see such awful parts of Zambia.Dirty boys begging around too.
Domestic tourism will be very very hard bcoz PF messed up the economy big time.Inflation ,low wages and high cost of living all make it a very tough sell.
#6 Mafikizolo
October 2, 2021 At 8:34 pm
“……A poor black Zambian tour guide will barely get any clients from overseas……”
are so du.ll ??
Tour guides don’t get clients , the safari parks get clients , tour guides work for the safari parks…..
That’s like saying to have chines security guards at pick and pay will get in Chinese clients …….
The idea of local tour guides is good… if they can speak English and other languages. In Himalayas and Mount Everest, it is the local people who guide tourist climbers because they know the terrain very well. I think this generally speaks to the fact that tourism in Zambia is seen as European thing, more so than a local business venture.
The local guides need to be trained to understand foreign visitors, including respecting women and all. It would require a deliberate overhaul and govt investment.
Zambia is a DIRTY country. Zambians are DIRTY people, NEVER clean up anything, throwing garbage anywhere, empty bottles going out of the minibus window. There is no garbage collection. Plastic bags clogging up drainage. And the local government is doing NOTHING. And then you want to attract TOURISTS? They will only be DISGUSTED!
Even planting flowers from KKIA to the roundabout on GER is a challenge
@ 15 No Corruption Zambia very true, i’ve seen slum tourism in Kenya and its certainly not something to be proud of.
There is need to have a proper Sustainable tourism strategy covering the period to 2030 If you have to be a global world leader in the Tourism sector This and New stratergy must address th challenges of the sector in the medium and to long term addressing core issues of sustaioanability in the sector such as the performance of the communities and their economies,the firms, issues of the environmental and territorial protection and redevelopment This with an engagement of the communities both local and automous and including firms in the sector.Uless there is a clear stratergy that build on the current there will be very little success that will be recorded to grow the sector manage risks and add to Jobs…