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Govt. set to improve tourism infrastructure
Livingstone, June 19, 2014 ZANIS———-Tourism and Arts Permanent Secretary Steven Mwansa says government is set to improve infrastructure development in the tourism sector to enhance private sector participation and domestic tourism.
Mr. Mwansa stressed the need to build more airports and roads to ensure more tourist attractions could be accessed by local and international tourists.
“We have to push for the development of infrastructure; new airports, new aerodromes and roads leading to our tourism sites.
“ With that in place, the private sector will take advantage and build new lodges, guesthouses, hotels, settlements, shopping places, and that will then bring to fruition our program to promote domestic tourism,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary said this in an interview on Wednesday during a welcome cocktail party for SADC Tourism Ministers ahead of their 6th Meeting at Chrismar hotel in Livingstone.
Vice President Dr Guy Scott is scheduled this Friday to officially open the ministerial meeting of the Regional Tourism Organization of Southern Africa (RETOSA), which is the tourism wing of SADC.
Mr. Mwansa said the conference would provide an opportunity to identify areas that would give the country a competitive advantage, capacity to formulate new strategies and promotion of tourist sites and products.
“…As the third country among the 50 top emerging tourism destinations in the next decade, this conference gives us an opportunity to formulate new plans in order for us to develop the northern circuit so that we don’t over trade the Victoria Falls but look at other attractions – natural and cultural – in the other parts of the country,” he said.
Earlier, Zambia Tourism Board (ZTB) Managing Director Felix Chaila said Southern Africa commanded 40 percent of the total African tourism market.
Mr. Chaila said the record was worth celebrating as the region was doing well as a competitive tourism destination.
The conference has drawn representatives from Malawi, Zimbabwe, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, Mozambique, South Africa, Seychelles, Namibia, Zambia and Botswana.
