Zambia: The Zambia Tourism Agencymuch-awaited International Tourism Trade Fair (FITUR) ends on Sunday. This was the 44th edition of FITUR, and Zambia’s participation at this year’s event has increased.
This year, the event was held in Madrid, Spain. It started on January 23 and ended on January 28.
ZTA Chief Executive Officer Matongo Matamwandi says FITUR has also created leads that need to be nurtured to increase tourist arrivals and investment in the tourism sector.
He says since FITUR, a global meeting point for tourism professionals and world travellers, opened its doors to the public on January 23, the Agency, alongside more than ten supporting exhibitors, including government agencies, has received overwhelming inquiries about the destination.
“This surge in interest signifies the growing interest by travellers to visit Zambia, which is ranked as one of the top 10 tourism hotspots to visit this year,” he said.
Matamwandi said through the exhibition, ZTA and other exhibitors have made key connections for international collaborations in the tourism sector through networking and in-person visits to the Zambian stand and other Destination Marketing Companies (DMC).
He added that ZTA’s driving interest in Spain lies in the array of opportunities that the country provides, particularly its interlinkages with Latin American countries, as Zambia seeks to increase tourist arrivals from that region.
The ZTA chief expressed satisfaction that through this exhibition, a good number of DCMs had shown interest in partnering with the destination to promote Zambia’s tourism to the European market.
Matamwandi further said the Agency is optimistic that Zambia will record exponential growth in tourist arrivals from Europe to Zambia, especially following the appointment of its DMC, which oversees Spain, France, the United Kingdom and Germany.
He said feedback from the DMC will assist ZTA in understanding the consumer behaviour of tourists from Spanish-speaking countries and tailoring its demands to their needs.
Zambia is among several UN tourism member states participating in this year’s FITUR, organized by IFEMA, an institution that organizes fairs, halls, and congresses in its Madrid facility. The five-day fair ends on Sunday.
This is contained in a press statement provided to ZANIS by Naomi Mweemba, the First Secretary of Press at the Zambian Embassy in Paris, France, in Lusaka on Sunday.
