By BRIAN HATYOKA –

SITA, which is the world’s leading specialist in air transport communications and information technology (IT), has expressed happiness at Zambia’s rapid growth in the travel and tourism industry.
SITA vice-president Paul Murphy said Zambia’s travel and tourism industry was growing rapidly, comprising of more than five per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Mr Murphy said it was encouraging to note that Zambia is currently ranked as the 13th fastest growing tourism market in the world.
He was speaking in Livingstone at Zambezi Sun Hotel yesterday during the official opening of Future of African Airports conference hosted by the Zambia Airports Corporation Limited (ZACL), SITA and Airports Council International (ACI) Africa.
“Tourists are now being attracted to Zambia’s natural wonders such as the Victoria Falls; and so are we. We are delighted to be in Livingstone over the next two days!
“We are proud to bring The Future of African Airports event to Zambia to look at the trends and technologies that are shaping tomorrow’s airports, today,” Mr Murphy said.
He said airports that invested in the passenger experience perform better by maximising revenue opportunities, improving customer satisfaction and driving efficiency benefits.
“But delivering a fast and smooth journey through the airport to an increasingly demanding and rapidly growing number of passengers is still a major challenge for most airports. In response, airport executives are turning to technology to achieve their business goals,” Mr Murphy said.
Speaking at the same meeting, ZACL director of air navigation Frank Chinambu said the upgrading and expansion of the country’s four international airports would be undertaken at a cost of US$ 900 million.