TOURISM in Zambia has been identified as one of the growth sectors with potential to unlock the country’s economy by creating jobs and generating public revenue.
To unlock the potential in tourism, the government through the Ministry of Tourism has embarked on identifying investment opportunities and making them ready for investors.
This has been done through the launch of the Tourism Guide with the objective of helping investors identify areas of investment dotted around Zambia.
Tourism Permanent Secretary, Evans Muhanga says national parks like the Kafue, Mosi-oa-Tunya, Lungwa, Nsumbu and Lavushimanda are identified opportunities for investment for both the local and foreign investors.
Mr Muhanga says game management areas surrounding national parks provide opportunities for people to invest in lodges made up of luxury tented rooms and charge tourists going to view wildlife.
That also helps the government to earn the much-needed foreign exchange to improve the economy.
He says luxury tented lodges built in national parks attract international tourists because of the beautiful natural scenes of the environment hence the government’s resolve to open up the areas for investments.
The government is ready to give tourism concession licences to investors willing to invest in game ranching and lodges in game management areas.
According to Mr Muhanga, game ranching is another opportunity for investment and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) is at hand to issue licences to people willing to invest in private game ranches.
“There is a need for more investment in game ranching, there are many opportunities that are there, one can be a supplier of legal bush meat, and attract international tourists coming to Zambia to hunt,” he notes.
Mr Muhanga says mini waterfalls are another area of investments where investors can build beautiful lodges to accommodate tourists coming to view the falls.
He says the National Heritage Conservation Commission (NHCC) has been keeping the mini waterfalls in the prime state as natural heritage and investors are welcome to set up lodges and bring out the beauty and relaxation that attracts tourists.
Mr Muhanga says the government is making the investment opportunities ready by providing connectivity in national parks through loop roads which connect to tourist resorts.
He says distance, especially in the Northern Circuit, is a challenge because the waterfalls such as Kundalila, Chishimba, Lumangwe, Kabwelume, Ntumbachushi, Musonda and Mumbuluma among others are far apart.
“We also have about 20 national parks and 36 game managements and providing connective is needed to make the tourist sites easily accessible,” he says.
This is why government has engaged the likes of Africa Parks in Kafue National Parks as a collaborative management partner to open up the park, he says.
Mr Muhanga says with the coming of Africa Parks, species in the Kafue National Park will be protected through effective law enforcement activities in collaboration with the DNPW.
He says Africa Parks and the DNPW will work together to fight poaching, unsustainable land use such as the burning of charcoal and protect the entire ecosystem which wildlife feeds on.
“That is why we need collaborative partners with deep pockets and well thought-out-conservation modern methods so that they can help Zambia preserve nature and at the same time promote tourism,” he says.
Mr Muhanga says the government is seeking a $100 million concession loan from the World Bank to improve tourism infrastructure to support the growth of the industry.
He says once the funds are secured, it would go towards the improvements of basic infrastructure in Liuwa National Park in Kalabo.
It is further be used for the improvement of the basic infrastructure at Kasaba Bay which includes the runway while the the source of the Zambezi River in North-Western Provinces will also be looked at.
Mr Muhanga says the funds will also go towards the improvement of roads in various tourism sites and dilapidated bridges such as the Lwanginga in Kalabo for easy access.
“The government is seeking a US$100 million concession loan from the World Bank to support tourism infrastructure and improve connectivity which has been a challenge in promoting tourism in the country,” he said.
The ministry is also packaging traditional cultures such as the Ncwala and Mwiindi in Eastern, Kuomboka in Western, Likumbi Lya Mize in North-Western, Mutomboko in Luapula and Ukusefya Ukusefya Pang’wena in Northern.
Mr Muhanga says there is need to package the traditional ceremonies because they are an attraction to international tourists to come and understand the issues related to the heritage of the people of Zambia.
He says the Zambia Tourism Agency (ZTA) will work on ensuring that they market the country’s rich culture through traditional ceremonies to international tourists.
He says the New Dawn government has shown good will towards the growth of the tourism sector hence the formation of the Public Private Dialogue Forum (PPDF) to bring on board the private sector.
“The UPND-led government has proved that it means business when it comes to promoting the tourism sector through a dedicated fund of K50 million for marketing the industry and supporting infrastructure development,” he says.
The government is working towards ensuring that the tourism industry as an economic sector contributes above 10 per cent to the country’s Growth Domestic Product (GDP).
The ministry wants the tourism sector to join the mining, energy and infrastructure sectors in that feat and in creating jobs and contributing to the national Treasury.
“Tourism has the potential to contribute to the country’s GDP, at some point, it went up to seven per cent, but we want it to contribute 10 per cent,” he says.
Tourism Council of Zambia (TCZ) chairperson Yousuf Zumla says Zambia has a land area of 752,614 square kilometres, much bigger than many countries that dominate the global media today.
Mr Zumla says the country has almost unmatched natural resources, in terms of flora and fauna, waterbodies, and the highest water density in the region, including the flagship attraction, the Victoria Falls.
Arguably Zambians are the friendliest people on the African continent, if not in the world but for many years, the tourism industry has competed poorly in the region and beyond.
Mr Zumla said during a media breakfast briefing recently that the hotel bed space has for many years been a big limitation to hosting major conferences and sporting events such as the Africa Cup of Nations.
He says the biggest impediment has been the fact that people out there do not know much about Zambia and what it has to offer in tourism.
“As a country, we have not sufficiently endeavoured to make the country look more attractive than other places, thus increasing the number of visitors and bringing business to the local travel industry,” he said.
Mr Zumla says, ultimately it is about improving the image of the country and making it more appealing to foreign visitors.
He says in line with President Hakainde Hichilema directive to increase tourist arrival number to at least 1.5 million and with increased funding to the ministry, the ZTA should be able to market
Zambia as a preferred tourist destination with renewed vigour.
Given the goodwill shown by the government and resources being availed to the sector as well as other measures, the country is poised to become the preferred tourist destination in the region and beyond.