Tourism in Zambia
Zambia the “real Africa” is the real home for the mighty Victoria Falls, one of the 7 wonders of the world and the largest water fall in the world.
Zambia stands out as one of the prime tourism destinations in Africa offering a wealth of natural tourism assets – waterfalls, lakes and rivers holding about 35% of Southern Africa’s total natural water resource, ‘wildlife protected areas’ occupying about 10% of the country’s total land area, and a tropical climate – a passport to sunshine almost throughout the year.
It has better attractions which include; Kariba Dam one of the largest man-made lakes in the world and the Kalambo Falls one of the deepest falls in the world.
Zambia boasts of 19 National Parks with one of the largest in the world Kafue National Park; and it has one of the largest concentrations of game in Africa. Zambia has a rich cultural heritage and therefore has a number of cultural sites that could be visited.
It holds a number of traditional ceremonies including the Kuomboka in the Western Province; Ncwala in the EasternProvince; Likumbi Lyamize in the North Western Province; Shimunenga in the Southern Province) and Mutomboko (in Luapula Province and these all attract tourist in the country
Regulatory Framework
The Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources
The Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources (MTENR) was created in
January 2002 by merging the two former Ministries of Tourism and that of Environment and Natural Resources.
The MTENR is charged with the responsibility of providing guidance in tourism, environment and natural resources sectors of the economy of Zambia.
The Ministry’s mission is:
“To provide a policy framework for the management and development of tourism, heritage and natural resources and the environment in order to contribute to sustainable socio-economic development for the benefit of present and future generations.”
The policy bring about growth in the tourism industry through the encouragement of the private sector
The Tourism And Hospitality Act No.23 Of 2007
The Tourism and Hospitality Act formally the Tourism Act 1979; Hotels Act 1987 and Casino Act 1992 remains the principal law in terms of the industry’s regulation. This is an Act to provide the development of the tourism planning, management and co-ordination; to provide incentives for investors in the tourism industry; to provide for control and regulation of hotels and enforcement of reasonable standards of cleanliness, sanitation and service; to provide the authorisation and licensing of tourism enterprises; to provide for the constitution of the Hotel Managers Registration Council; to provide for the establishment and administration of the tourism development fund and any matters connected with or incidental to the same.
Zambia Wildlife Act No.12 of 1998
The Act No.12 of 1998 repealed the National Wildlife Act 1991 and its preamble provides in part: An Act to establish the Zambia Wildlife Authority and to define its functions; to provide for the establishment, control and management of National Parks and for the promotion of opportunities for the equitable and sustainable use of the special qualities of National Parks; to provide for the establishment, control and management of Game Management Areas; to provide for the sustainable use of wildlife and the effective management of the wildlife habitat in Game Management Areas;
Zambian Wildlife Authority
The Zambia Wildlife Act No.12 of 1998 led to the establishment of Zambian Wildlife Authority which is a statutory body in charge of wildlife management in Zambia and it regulates all tourism activities in National Parks and Game Management Areas.
The Zambia National Tourism Board
Zambia Tourism Board is a Statutory body established through an Act of Parliament number 24 of 2007 with a mandate to promote and market Zambia as a tourist destination within and outside Zambia.
Tourism in Zambia has been summarized to include the following
For more reading
http://www.zambiaembassy.se/tourism/tourism.htm
http://www.zambiatourism.com/media/TourismPolicyforZambia.pdf
http://www.saiea.com/dbsa_handbook_update09/pdf/15Zambia09.pdf