Zambia: The Ministry of Tourism, in collaboration with the World Tourism Organisation, hosted the ‘Invest in Zambia Tourism’ meeting on January 23, 2024, in Madrid, Spain.
The meeting will be held on the sidelines of the annual International Tourism Trade Fair, which is hosted by the Fair Institution of Madrid (IFEMA). IFEMA is a prominent institution that specialises in organising fairs, halls, and congresses in its facilities in Madrid.
The annual International Tourism Trade Fair is the largest global meeting for tourism professionals and world travellers.
According to a press statement issued by First Secretary Press at the Zambian Embassy in Paris Naomi Ngandu, the side meeting aims to attract tourism professionals in Spain and globally, encouraging partnerships with Zambian counterparts and would-be start-up tourism ventures.
Ngandu said the ultimate goal is to unlock the full potential of the sector and maximise its contribution to Zambia’s economic growth.
Zambia is emerging as a prime investment destination for tourism in Africa due to its unspoilt nature, rich variety of safari wildlife, including an unmatched variety of bird species, vast sandy beaches, numerous inland river systems and captivating waterfalls.
She said Zambia offers abundant opportunities for sustainable tourism and has also demonstrated a steadfast commitment to protecting endangered species and their habitats.
Ngandu said other attributes that make Zambia a truly rising tourism hub investment are its unique land-linked connectivity and membership to SADC and COMESA, which provide market access to eight countries and a potential market to over nine hundred million people.
She observed that the readily available workforce, dynamic youth population, and revamped public-private partnership business model serve as additional compelling factors for Zambia’s representation at the upcoming tourism fair.
The First Secretary for Press pointed out that Zambia has earned recognition from the Association of British Travel Agents, securing a place among the top 10 hotspots for travellers in 2024.
Ngandu said the upcoming international tourism fair presents an opportunity to increase Zambia’s visibility as a preferred destination to international travellers, too.
She added that Zambia’s attendance at 2024 FITUR will further provide a platform to connect with valuable partners through in-person events, facilitating the exploration of opportunities and partnerships with travel agencies, accommodation providers, destinations, and innovation solutions to boost travel business.
Ngandu said the Zambia delegation to Spain will leverage various networking platforms, with a special focus on sports business travel, women leading in tourism aligned to the Sustainable Development Goals and technology business, destinations, and tourism sustainability, among other platforms.
“These platforms will provide an opportunity to appreciate current global trends with tourism professionals and experts in the respective tourism sub-sectors,” she said.
“Active participation at the fair gives the Zambian delegation room not only to benchmark future implementation and diversification of the tourism sector in Zambia but also to position the country as a preferred tourism and investment destination of choice for the Spanish and European markets,” she added.
The Zambian delegation is led by Ministry of Tourism Permanent Secretary Evans Muhanga, who is accompanied by senior government officials, the Zambian Embassy in France accredited to Spain, and members of the Zambian private sector.