HH - Tourism is Central to Zambia’s Growth Strategy

President Hichilema received Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the UN’s tourism agency, at State House on Thursday for an important meeting. The President used this opportunity to publicly affirm his view that bolstering tourism-related infrastructure and making Zambia a premier destination within the African continent will be key to securing long-term economic growth.

This growth strategy would seek to diversify Zambia’s economy, reduce reliance on mining and raw materials, and invest in the service industry, a crucial step towards becoming a middle-income country.

“Zambia is eager to leverage her rich natural endowments and diverse tourism assets by tapping into the global networks and systems of the UN Tourism. To unlock our full tourism potential, we must foster a policy environment that attracts international visitors, promotes sustainable development, and positions Zambia as a key player on the world tourism map”, the President told press after the meeting. He expressed his view that Zambia’s geographical location makes it well-placed to become a powerhouse of African tourism.

President Hichilema went on to highlight steps already taken by his government to encourage people from all over the world to visit Zambia, such as expansions to visa-free travel. He also pointed to the country’s outstanding natural endowments, such as Victoria Falls – one of the seven wonders of the natural world – and a unique array of flora and fauna.

However, natural wonders are themselves insufficient to attract tourists on a huge scale, the country must be navigable and well-connected. To this end, the President stressed the need to improve transportation infrastructure – “in the Northern corridor of the country and North-Western Province, to get to these places, it takes long”.

Mr Pololikashvili was proud of the cooperation between his agency and the Zambian government, and pledged to continue it: “Zambia has a lot of opportunities to attract foreign direct investment, and we are helping to support any kind of investors to guide why they need to invest in this beautiful country”.