.JEAN KAPATA

By JULIUS PHIRI –

TOURISM and Arts Minister Jean Kapata has said Zambia’s tourism sector offers massive untapped investment opportunities.
Ms Kapata was speaking during a panel of discussion on investment and tourism in Africa under the theme ‘Tourism: The untapped potential for future growth’, organised by Casa Africa and Spain in New York.
This is contained in a statement issued by first secretary for Press and public relations at the Permanent Mission of Zambia to United Nations (UN) Chibaula Silwamba.
The minister said Zambia had attractive policies and regulatory frameworks to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
“My Government is strongly encouraging community private partnerships and joint ventures between Zambians and foreign investors for their mutual benefits as this creates sustainable jobs and livelihoods,” Ms Kapata told the gathering that included investors, tourism experts, UN accredited ambassadors and diplomats.
The minister said Zambia was in the process of piloting a universal visa (UNIVISA) programme with Zimbabwe.
After the pilot project, Ms Kapata said the process would be extended to other member States of the Kavango-Zambezi -Transfrontier Conservation, which included Angola, Botswana and Namibia before spreading it to the remaining SADC countries.
She said the immigration department was in the process of implementing the online visa application, whose introduction had been approved by Cabinet.
“The process for clearance of immigrants requiring visas at the point of entry has been streamlined, with entrants being cleared within a minimum of up to three minutes using the visa automation system,” she said.
Ms Kapata said the Zambian Government had embarked on the development of connectivity infrastructure in tourism sites.
The minister said communities in Zambia’s nature-based tourism sites should benefit from the sector for them to appreaciate and preserve the resources.
Ms Kapata called on African countries to plan and integrate tourism into their economies as well as develop tourism products in a complementary manner for the continent to be competitive on the World stage.
In his opening remarks, Spain Minister of  Industry, Energy and Tourism, Jose Manuel Soria Lopez, said his country believed in the catalytic role of investment and business in the promotion of economic growth and development in Africa.
He said Spain’s intention was to increase investments in Africa in the next years .
Other panelists were Namibia’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Carl Schlettwein, Zimbabwe’s Minister of Tourism Walter Mzembi, UN Under-Secretary General Gyan Chandra Achaya, United Nations World Tourism Organisation representative Carlos Vogeler and was moderated by South Africa and Sierra Leone ambassadors to the UN.
The panelists emphasised the importance of promoting investment in Africa, positive portrayal of the continent and the need for the resources to benefit the locals.
The panel discussion focused on highlighting the investment potential of Africa and Spain cooperation with countries in the continent.