Tourism Minister Rodney Sikumba has called for more international investment in the tourism sector and asked the People’s Republic of China to seize the available opportunities to partner with local Zambians in doing so.
Speaking when Chinese Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Li Jie paid a courtesy call on him this morning, the Minister said the New Dawn regime is cognizant of the tourism potential and benefits that come with the large outbound tourism provided by the Chinese market and that Zambia wants to benefit whatever marginal figures from the larger share of the nearly 200 million outbound tourists from China.
He said his Ministry will work out modalities to make sure that a good number of the Zambian population including tour operators and Ministry staff are vaccinated against covid 19 and provide proof that they are, so that visiting Chinese tourists and those from other countries can have confidence of their safety as they visit the country.
Hon. Sikumba said the push for domestic tourism and the call on local investments in the sector was due to the fact that the survival of the industry literally depended on the locals to survive during the challenges of the covid 19 pandemic.
And the Chinese envoy called on the minister to see how the new dawn government could facilitate a visa on arrival to lessen travel challenges for Chinese tourists to Zambia.
He said the current situation where Chinese nationals strictly depends on getting visas from the Zambian embassy in Benjin or the consular in Guangzhou discourages some visitors as they have to leave their cities to only these places to facilitate their travels.
Ambassador Jie said the country’s idea to increase the vaccination of the population will build confidence in tourists as can be seen by the case of China where 80 percent of the population vaccinated.
He expressed happiness that the World Health Organization has certified that the Chinese vaccines meet international standards.
No chance, ………
The Chinese want to pay black African pipo prices……
They look at the prices charged by those tour operators as rip-off prices ……
The Chinese are used of paying peanuts or free for anything african…….
You cannot invite Americans.
If you can’t beat them join them.
Let’s try minimize with Chinese. These guys will come and never leave. There is extreme poverty in China. Attempt to woe tourists that will come tour and go back not potential immigration problems.
How strange! I thought PF and Mr Lungu were severely condemned for having Chinese investment! Reality appears to be setting in!
Investment doesn’t really matter where it comes from as long as the conditions are favorable. Remember the late President Sata used to throw scorn at the Chinese before ascending to the Presidency but was the first to host them at State House?
Rodney don’t repeat singing the same old broken record. The Chinese ambassador came with a carefully planned strategy from his government for the benefit of China and the Chinese NOT for Zambians. And there you go asking for Chinese investors and tourists. Before you open your mouth, Ask yourself what is it that will be in this arrangement for Zambia and Zambians. Especially the youth and entrepreneurs. How are we going to avoid the poor wages and working conditions experienced from the Chinese to date? How much will Zambians own in these businesses? How are going to retain forex in Zambia? Expectations are high ba new dawn. You cannot continue with business as usual. Do so at your own peril.
In as much as I agree with whatever my lovely minister is saying I still feel Chinese people don’t enjoy tourism and wanting them anywhere near that institution will be of serious damage. Chinese are serious hard workers and their area is construction and technology not leisure and hospitality. I personally have worked with them and hospitality industry is not part of them….
ching chong OMG
They will run circles around you in more ways than one and when you wake up it will be too late
Different parties but same imbecility
Those chinks caused us a lot of problems with the corrupt lazy lungu. Don’t make the same mistake. This country is owned by the chinks given the debt we owe them.
Oh no, not the chi cho chas again pls. Spare us the drama. Locally Zambians don’t want to hear of PF & it’s cadres again, and equally internationally, Zambians don’t want to hear of China – ever again.
Chinese “tourists” are in fact people who’ll come to decimate Zambia’s elephants/rhinos for tusks.Then they’ll start a business on the side .
All of your comments above lack any grain of incite into the Chinese Tourism Industry. France Greece ,Italy, and the Americans are busy clamoring for chunk of Chinese Tourism and investment. China has more rich Chinese people now than ever before with disposable income to spend on touring the globe .Look at the huge number of Chinese students in the USA and the Europe and how much they contribute to the finance sustenance of the higher education institutions. It is so immense such that there is an outcry during this COVID-19 pandemic as most of the new and returning students could access VISAs to travel to these countries. That being the case ,Zambia cannot afford to let go of this chance to tap into this potential market. Chinese investment should be welcome as well unless you so…
Australia and Canada over 10 yrs ago did the same thing going after the china man tourism market and it failed lots of china man came but no money came all pre booked in china and all lodges owned by china man, little tax paid and very few local jobs. the Chinese want Chinese food prepared by chinese, tour guide speaking Chinese , how many Zambian guide speak Chinese? and the only jobs for locals will be toilet cleaners and dish washers. if it didn’t work in Australia or Canada where they have 35 million tourists a year , why would it work in Zambia where there are only 1 million tourists if your lucky, remember very few china men speak English as a 2nd language.
Nothing in it for Zambians
Dont you people get it in your head,Chinese are not coming as tourist to Zambia but as new colonialists…by the way not only in Zambia but worldwide.Good luck with your chinese tourists.
What the F do you wana do bro…..Chinese are you freaking kidding me?????
Be more original than the previous goverment, you have been in this Industry for long and you know whats needed to be done……but not chinese
Bravo Hon Minister for attracting Chinese tourists. You can rest assured that China will not let you down. Many Chinese middle class are eager to discover Africa. Under the right conditions, the figures will keep on rising until a million tourists per year is reached. Remember that China has a population of over a billion people. The growth of the economy is phenomenal. Ignore the prophets of doom who can not think outside the box.
Cant we think beyond the chinamen? very disappointed that with al the years you spent in opposition your thinking was also limited to chinese
And This doctor even say BRAVO! I strongly believe most of these doctors are just Ngangas. Surely you think china can give you tourists without losing what you have? if we entertain these people for 5 more years we will have no minerals and trees left. and 20 years from now we will have chinese bastar.ds as ministers
What’s the obsession with the Chinese, huh? UPND is beginning to sound like clueless PF regime already. The people you’re inviting don’t really make any significant investments as most of them just come to live, and begin to sell chickens, maize, etc., on the side of the road. The ones who start businesses don’t seem to respect labor laws, locking Zambian workers at their work place for weeks. When are we going to be respected by these foreigners? Don’t be overly dependent on one group of people. Empower the Zambians instead and try and work with the Zambian diaspora. Also reach out to African American investors like some other African countries are doing. Wake up!
UPND, if you want to be a one term Party, keeping singing that Chinese Investor song like PF did. If they want to come visit Zambia, that’s okay. But please stop this open overly dependence on them. The PF regime had one solution for everything–The Chinese! Until Zambia became known as a Chinese colony. Don’t make that same mistake. Also make sure that the ones who are in the country already have the right paperwork. Empower the Zambians instead to start businesses and partner with the diaspora.
Judging from Chinese superior skills in civil engineering, as exemplified by the construction of TAZARA railway line and Tuta bridge connecting Serenje and Luapula province, a mutual cooperation between Zambia and Chinese, could yield the realization of road networks infrastructures in the Luangwa Valley and Kafue Basin. A road network connecting South Luangwa National Park, Lukusuzi National Park and Lubambe National Park would create pristine Zambian version of “Kruger National”. Good roads linked to Kafue National Park from Mumbwa and Kalomo is yet another plus for tourism in Zambia.
#12 Cosmos. Nice write up. Never seen you here before.
The Chinese don’t even bother to know our local cultures like the Europeans. They don’t care about anything local. They come here to make a living. They don’t share the secrets of trade with the local people. But I wish we can emulate their industrious character… just this and we won’t need them anymore.
talk talk talk … please we need atleast five star hostels with modernised feautures around livingstone and other tourist centers in the country … we to create roads accessing remote tourist centers …its zambia first not chinese… please learn from your past government mistakes …..
China’s business model will never develop Africa. The Chinese who are already here in Zambia do not support local businesses. They buy everything they need from fellow Chinese. If you work in a Chinese company as procurement officer, it is a dismissible offense to buy anything from elsewhere if there is a Chinese who can supply the same. You don’t believe me, do a survey, ask local procurement officers who work in Chinese companies.
Ah Kanshi ba PF bali fye bwino mwebantu. UPND are enforcing everything they did. Including the active pursuit of the republic of Chambia