By CHILA NAMAIKO –
THE British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) will produce a documentary to highlight Zambia’s wildlife in Liuwa National Park of Western Province to be televised on geographic channel on Digital Satellite Television (DSTV).
Tourism and Arts Minister Jean Kapata told Parliament on Tuesday that the documentary would significantly help to market Zambia’s tourism sector on the world map.
She was responding to MMD Liuwa Member of Parliament (MP) Situmbeko Musokotwane who wanted to know what plans Government had to encourage tourism investment in Liuwa National Park.
Dr Musokotwane also wanted to know when infrastructure to spur tourism investment in the park would commence.
Ms Kapata told the House that the Zambia Tourism Board (ZTB) was also making concerted efforts to market the country’s tourism including wildlife found in Liuwa National Park.
“This national park is one of the important areas that has potential to help boost tourism in our country and BBC has also been engaged to film the wildlife and make a documentary to be televised on a geographical channel on DSTV,” she said She said plans have reached an advanced stage by Zambia and Angola to jointly establish a Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) in the national park with support from African Parks Network.
The African Parks Network is one of the organisations that address environmental conservation issues in Africa, especially the decline of many of Africa’s national parks.
TFCA was an area shared by Zambia and Angola which would be reserved for the management of wildlife, and the road infrastructure leading to the park would be upgraded.
Ms Kapata said tourism was an important economic sector that has potential to create more employment opportunities and revenue base for Government.