Zambia Tops Travel Charts
By Francis Maingaila ♥️
Lusaka, Zambia24 — (29 November 2025) — The country’s tourism sector is bouncing back strongly, with international arrivals reaching 1.4 million in 2023, up from 652,000 in 2010, the Zambia Tourism Agency (ZTA) has revealed.
Minister of Tourism Rodney Sikumba announced on Saturday night during the opening of the 2025 Tourism Excellence Awards that a record 2.2 million international tourists visited in 2024.
Speaking at the event, Minister Sikumba said growth has been propelled by expanded market outreach in India, China, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), as well as a strengthened national Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) calendar.
“As of October, we have already recorded two million international arrivals in 2025. This strong growth is a result of strategic Government interventions, including infrastructure development, strengthened domestic tourism, and enhanced service standards,” Mr. Sikumba said.
The Minister reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to positioning the country as a world-class tourism destination, citing key achievements such as increased air connectivity, regulatory reforms, the US$100 million GREAT-TDP investment, skills development initiatives, and the successful domestic tourism campaign.
He said this achievement puts the sector on track to surpass its 2025 target of 2.4 million arrivals, noting that 1.8 million visitors had already been recorded by the end of the third quarter.
According to Sikumba, the growth is a result of strong collaboration between government, private operators, and development partners.
He highlighted that the nation has been ranked number one in Southern Africa for business tourism spending under the WTTC Regional Index.
“Business traveller expenditure now stands at 63 percent, compared with Africa’s average of 29 percent,” he said.
The Minister also said the country scored highly in digital security (92 percent) and business readiness (85/100), factors critical in attracting meetings, conferences, and exhibitions, which are increasingly important for the sector’s development.
Sikumba emphasized tourism’s impact on employment, noting that 473,000 people are currently employed in the hospitality sector, with projections indicating this figure could rise to over 613,000 by 2034, driven by private-sector growth, increased investment, and rising visitor numbers.
The Minister announced that the government is upgrading key tourism sites under the Zambia Tourism Master Plan, including Kasaba Bay, Livingstone, Sioma Ngwezi, Liuwa, and the Lower Zambezi.
More than US$100 million from development partners, including the World Bank, is being used to improve roads, electricity, water, and other infrastructure, making these areas investor-ready and more attractive to tourists.
Sikumba reaffirmed government support for domestic tourism through the revived “Take a Holiday” campaign, noting that the ministry worked closely with private operators to design affordable travel packages, addressing previous concerns that local tourism had been expensive and inaccessible for many.
The Minister emphasized the importance of the Tourism Excellence Awards, saying they recognize exceptional service, encourage innovation, promote benchmarking, and strengthen compliance and economic impact in the private sector.
He noted that tourism is an intangible product, and service excellence is essential to remain competitive.
Sikumba praised the private sector for driving innovation and growth, stating:
“The private sector now drives innovation and provides ideas that allow government to create an enabling environment.”
He also highlighted the country’s growing reputation as a conference, meeting, and exhibition destination, noting that business tourism contributes significantly to the economy and local livelihoods.
As he officially opened the awards, Sikumba encouraged operators to remain innovative and committed to high standards:
“We are ready for new ideas, new partnerships, and new products. Together, we will continue building a tourism industry that creates jobs, attracts investment, and strengthens the economy.”
Daan Brink, Chairperson of the ZTA Board, said during the awards ceremony that the agency has made major progress in rebuilding the sector and improving marketing over the past three years. The event aimed to recognize individuals and institutions that have supported growth.
Brink said ZTA has adopted a technology-driven marketing strategy supported by data analytics and international partnerships.
By October 2025, more than 600,000 people had engaged with the agency’s campaigns, surpassing the target of 520,000 for the year.
He noted that domestic tourism is also growing, with 42 establishments participating in campaigns that sold over 5,000 local travel packages. Twenty corporate organisations also bought tourism packages for employees to encourage local travel.
Brink reported that the ‘Vertex’ exhibition, held in June 2025, attracted 103 exhibitors and over 32,000 visitors, adding that preparations for Vertex 2026, scheduled for 4–6 June, are already underway.
Internationally, the agency plans to intensify promotional campaigns through roadshows in the UK, North America, Germany, and South Africa. Brink said efforts in business tourism are expanding, describing it as a highly promising market.
However, he noted that compliance remains a challenge, with about 25 percent of tourism enterprises operating outside regulatory requirements.
ZTA aims to achieve full sector compliance in 2026 and stressed the need for stronger collaboration with private operators.
ZTA has received several national and international awards for its marketing campaigns and destination-promotion work, including Organization of the Year at the 2025 Zambian Business Awards.
Brink also highlighted that the country has won accolades on international and regional platforms, including Best Leisure Destination in Africa at the Africa Travel Indaba, Best Domestic Campaign from the Zambia Institute of Marketing, and Best Digital Campaign from the African Marketing Confederation.
Brink concluded by thanking government partners, private stakeholders, and ZTA staff, saying:
“Together, we are building a brighter future for the tourism industry.”
He also commended the sector’s performance, describing the agency’s journey since the appointment of the Board in September 2022 as “transformative.”
“Projections for 2026 remain robust for both international and domestic tourism,” Brink said.
He noted the expansion of the domestic tourism campaign Holiday Yamu Loko, which has registered a steady 10 percent growth as more people embrace local travel.
The campaign now features 107 tour operators, targeting 5,000 domestic bookings, and has become a key driver of local tourism uptake.
“Digital visibility for Destination Zambia is unmatched, supported by 1.5 billion global views across digital platforms in 2024. Our presence at international trade shows has strengthened, with a record 44 co-sharers at Africa’s Travel Indaba,” Brink added.
The Tourism Excellence Awards, hosted by ZTA last evening, recognized exceptional performance, innovation, and service excellence across the sector, cementing its position as a competitive and growing destination in Africa.
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