By Albert Nangara
Duke Makangila / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka in 2018. |
The tourism industry offers many opportunities to invest in Africa's rich local communities, generate economic activity, and create employment opportunities for women and young people.
Africa's unique history and natural wonders are gaining
attention amid the local and global increase in cultural, heritage and
development tourism. Several African countries present tremendous promise to
become or remain vibrant hosts for tourists, investors, and entrepreneurs,
which can drive employment for low-skilled workers and economic inclusion for
women and youth.
As far as March 5, 2019, Brookings suggested that
policymakers improve governance with a better-coordinated effort across
agencies to simplify the regulation, remove the barriers to tourism
development, attract investors, and promote tourist destinations.
The Zambia Tourism Authority (ZTA) announced that there
would be no VISA requirements for the United Kingdom, United States of America,
Canada, Norway, Australia, China, South Korea, Gulf Estates and the European
Union.
In 2019, Zambia approved its Tourism Master Plan 2018 to
2038, a 20-year practical development strategy to enhance the economic
contribution of the tourism sector to the southern African nation's economy.
Tourism is the country's fastest-growing economic sector,
contributing US$1.8 billion last year.
Furthermore, policymakers were also advised to unlock the
competitiveness and ease of doing business in the tourism sector with the
development of infrastructure, including for road, air, and water transport, as
well as the simplification of visa requirements and administrative processes.
Three years down the line, Zambia has removed visa
requirements for the European Union, China, and the United States of America,
among other lucrative global tourism markets, in a bid to revive the tourism
sector negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Zambia already has a
no-visa policy for most African countries.
The sector's performance was seriously affected by travel
restrictions necessitated by the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which
resulted in significant job losses.
In a notice on Sunday, the Zambia Tourism Authority (ZTA)
announced that there would be no VISA requirements for the United Kingdom,
United States of America, Canada, Norway, Australia, China, South Korea, Gulf
Estates and the European Union. This is with effect from October 1, 2022.
The Zambia Tourism Agency (formerly Zambia Tourism Board)
was established in 2015 to market and promote Zambia as a travel destination of
choice and to regulate the tourism industry.
Zambia is home to the world-famous Victoria Falls, vast
wildlife resources, varied scenery, wilderness, diverse culture and national
heritage, adventure activities and more.
The developments come on the back of the country's approval
of its Tourism Master Plan 2018 to 2038, a 20-year practical development
strategy to enhance the economic contribution of the tourism sector to the
southern African nation's economy.
"Currently the fastest-growing economic sector in the
country - contributing US$1.8 billion last year. The vision is for Zambia to
rank among the most-visited holiday destinations in Africa," the country's
tourism sector market information said.
In 2018, Zambia received a total of 1,072,012 international
tourist arrivals (a 6.2 per cent increase on 2017), and in 2019 1.2 million
arrivals were recorded. Growth in this sector slowed down in the second quarter
of 2021 to 3.4 per cent from 4.8 per cent recorded in the first quarter of
2021.
In the 2020 national budget, the government announced
improved funding to support the Northern Circuit, a region that has myriad
tourism offerings consisting of waterfalls, national parks and other heritage
sites as well as the rich traditional ceremonies that occur annually.
The country's President Hakainde Hichelema said in a recent
Budget speech that Zambia was focused on increasing the number of foreign
visitors to the country. "Tourism is huge business, yet we have not
marketed Zambia well in the past."
Zambia has also leveraged international agents to market the
country. Further, the country has continued utilising the missions abroad to
market the destination aggressively. Zambia also participates at selected
international exhibitions such as ITB Berlin, FITUR in Madrid and Vankantibuers
in the Netherlands, to mention a few.
According to Tourism Update, when driving African travel and
tourism it is important that the aviation industry sits at the table.
The Zambian government is working hard toward providing an
investor-friendly environment and improving accessibility to the country. This
has included the re-introduction of a national carrier and visa reforms.
According to founder and director of Zambian Ground
Handlers, Nick Aslin, massive investment in international airports in Zambia
can already be seen with a brand-new building in Livingstone and Lusaka due to
open year-end.
"The tourism product is a lot more sophisticated and
professional in terms of quality of service and product and this, in turn, has
opened it up to a greater variety of travellers," he said.
Zambia has memorable touristic products with sustainable
competitive advantages and a quality that meets or exceeds global standards.
The jaw-dropping Victoria Falls; the Devil's Pool, an adrenaline-packed
swim by the lip of the Victoria Falls, is only accessible on the Zambian side,
as is Livingstone Island, where David Livingstone first viewed the falls. Lake
Tanganyika in Northern Zambia is the world's longest freshwater lake and the largest
and deepest in Africa.
The country has some unique landmarks, including the gorge
swing in Livingstone, the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Lusaka, Mwela Rocks in
Kasama, Mukuni village in Livingstone and The Moto Moto museum and WWI graves
in Mbala, to name but a few.
According to Outlook Travel, Zambia has unrivalled wildlife
offerings. The world's biggest mammal migration takes place in Zambia at the
Kasanka National Park, when more than 10 million fruit-eating bats converge
from October to December annually; the wildebeest migration in Liuwa National
Park also attracts tourists. The Thornicroft giraffe can only be found in
Zambia in South Luangwa National Park.
You may visit Zambia for the safari opportunities it offers,
but a guarantee is that you'll also be captivated by its cultural offerings.
Zambia has 72 different ethnic groups (many speaking the Bantu language), each
with its own culture and customs. Many of these groups celebrate their cultural
heritage by hosting traditional festivals; Ku-omboka, one of the most
well-known, celebrates the end of the rainy season.
Lastly, Zambia is a beacon of peace and a shining example
within Africa of a country that has never been to war and continues living in
harmony.
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