Zambia to Receive 1 million Tourists

The “Visit Zambia 2005-2010” is expected to lure over one million tourists to visit Zambia by 2010. Minister of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources Kabinga Pande said the Zambian government had embarked on a tourism promotion initiative to create awareness of Zambia’s proximity to South Africa which would host the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals.

While in London attending the World Travel Market (WTM) exhibition at ExCel, Mr Pande said Zambia would encourage participating teams to camp in Zambia and to use the three new stadia Zambia is construction before the World Cup finals.

The WTM exhibition attracted more than 5,500 exhibiting companies and 46,000 tourism industry professionals from more than 190 countries. The exhibition is the most effective international travel and tourism industry business forum.

As president of the Africa Travel Association (ATA) Mr Pande received the prestigious annual World Tourism Award for 2005. The award recognised the friendship and collaboration ATA used to bridge the Asia-Africa tourism.

Zambian companies that attended the WTM for the first time include Alendo Travel Tours & Car Hire and Norman Carr Safaris.

And locally the Zambian government special Tourism Loan to help Zambian join the Zambian tourism industry was preferentially pro women. Already 51 per cent of the financing went to Zambian women.