TELL ZAMBIA’S STORY, BRING THE WORLD

Tourism PS Evans Muhanga challenges journalists and content creators to market Zambia through accurate information, compelling storytelling and knowledge of the country’s tourism products

By Francis Maingaila ♥️

LUSAKA, Zambia — 11 September 2026 — The Zambian Government has challenged the media, content creators and the tourism industry to play a more active role in promoting the country as it seeks to attract five million international tourist arrivals and improve the quality of tourism facilities.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism Evans Muhanga told journalists at the conclusion of a two-day media training workshop on tourism writing and reporting, organised by the Zambia Tourism Agency (ZTA), that Zambia would not achieve the five-million-tourist target if responsibility for marketing the country was left to Government alone.

Mr Muhanga said journalists, content creators, tourism businesses and ordinary Zambians all had a role to play in telling Zambia’s story and showcasing what the country has to offer.

“Five million tourists is not a small number. We cannot do it alone,” he said.

He challenged journalists to go beyond describing tourism destinations as beautiful and instead provide practical information about their location, available activities, unique features, accessibility and what visitors should expect.

Mr Muhanga said well-researched tourism stories could convert public interest into actual visits by providing potential tourists with the information they need to make informed decisions.

He also called on the private sector to play its part, noting that hotels, lodges, restaurants, conference facilities, transport companies and tour operators were central to the visitor experience.

He said Government and the private sector must continue working together to address barriers to tourism growth, adding that discussions under the Public-Private Dialogue Forum should result in practical action.

Mr Muhanga said a visitor’s experience of Zambia begins long before they reach a national park or tourist attraction. It starts at airports and border crossings and continues through interactions with immigration officers, taxi drivers, police officers, tour operators, hotel employees, restaurant staff and ordinary citizens.

“There is no point having a beautiful national park if the visitor has a bad experience before reaching it,” he said.

He said Zambia’s reputation for having warm and welcoming people must be protected because every interaction can influence whether a visitor recommends the country or returns.

Mr Muhanga further urged the media to broaden the tourism narrative beyond Livingstone and Victoria Falls, noting that Zambia has national parks, wildlife, rivers, lakes, game management areas and other natural attractions across the country.

“Zambia is not Livingstone,” he said.

He said wildlife conservation initiatives, including Government-supported translocations, should be explained in terms of their benefits to tourism, local communities and businesses, as healthy wildlife populations can attract more visitors and create livelihoods.

Mr Muhanga said tourism was not limited to sightseeing but also involved money circulating within communities, as tourists spend on accommodation, transport, food, activities, park fees, crafts and other services.

He challenged social media influencers to use platforms such as TikTok, Facebook and Instagram to provide more than attractive images by informing audiences where attractions are located, what they offer, how much they cost and how visitors can access them.

“Please take the message for us. We also want to work with social media influencers because if you share more facts on your page and have many followers, it is important that we work with you,” he said.

Mr Muhanga said the success of digital tourism content should not be measured solely by views and likes, but also by whether it encourages people to make bookings, contact tourism operators, visit restaurants, arrange safaris or travel to Zambia.

He also called for sensible regulation of smaller accommodation establishments, particularly bed-and-breakfast facilities, saying operators should meet basic standards of cleanliness, bedding and safety without being forced out of business.

Mr Muhanga said Zambia’s image was also shaped by online reviews and stories, making it important for journalists and content creators to produce honest and responsible content that acknowledges the country’s challenges while highlighting its many attractions.

He said the “Zambia Moves You” brand should present the country as a destination where people can explore, relax, conduct business and experience authentic Zambian culture and hospitality.

Mr Muhanga said tourism growth must be accompanied by improvements in roads, airports, energy, agriculture, technology and communications because these sectors directly affect the visitor experience.

He said the five-million-tourist target should be viewed as more than a statistic because increased arrivals would generate business for hotels, restaurants, taxi operators, tour guides, craftspeople and communities.

Mr Muhanga commended ZTA for organising the training and urged journalists to apply the skills acquired by producing stories that inspire people to visit Zambia.

Representing ZTA Chief Executive Officer Abgail Shansonga, Herbert Maambo said tourism remained an important component of national development because of its potential to create jobs and expand economic opportunities for communities.

Mr Maambo said the media had a significant role to play through documentaries, interviews, news reports and social media content capable of taking Zambia’s tourism story to audiences beyond the country.

“We want to see the skills and strategies gained from this training being translated into stronger digital tourism content that can tell Zambia’s story to the world,” he said.

Meanwhile, ZTA Head of Tourism Promotion Beatrice Munthali said Zambia must stop allowing Victoria Falls to overshadow the country’s other tourism attractions.

“Not many people around the world know about Zambia, so we need to keep talking about what this country has to offer,” Ms Munthali said.

She said Zambia had a rich combination of wildlife, culture, adventure, traditional ceremonies, waterfalls, business tourism and other natural attractions.

Ms Munthali said the country’s location, airports, airlines, charter flights and road network provided opportunities to connect tourists to different destinations.

She said Zambia’s peaceful environment and warm hospitality were also important selling points.

“We have very friendly and warm people. It is very easy to start a conversation with tourists,” she said.

Ms Munthali said the country’s more than 70 ethnic groups offered a wide range of cultural experiences, including traditional ceremonies, food and diverse ways of life.

“Food is a large part of culture. It talks about how we welcome people into our homes and into our lives,” she said.

She said traditional ceremonies should be promoted as tourism products, while adventure activities such as bungee jumping and white-water rafting on the Zambezi River could attract visitors seeking distinctive experiences.

Ms Munthali said Zambia had more than 15 waterfalls apart from Victoria Falls, particularly in the Northern Circuit, which she said deserved greater attention from tourism marketers and the media.

“We have a lot more than just Victoria Falls. We have a lot of waterfalls in the north, and I think we should talk about this as well,” she said.

She said Zambia also had historical and geographical sites, conference facilities and opportunities for incentive tourism, catering to both independent travellers and visitors seeking luxury or more affordable experiences.

Ms Munthali urged journalists to acquire product knowledge and report consistently on tourism attractions rather than covering them only when major events took place.

“Please do come with us to gain product knowledge so that you can share information about these attractions,” she said.

She said ZTA was ready to provide journalists with information about new establishments, destinations, accommodation facilities and attractions, including places that had previously been difficult to access.

“Visit Zambia today because adventure awaits,” Ms Munthali said.

Meanwhile, Justin Mbanga from the Licensing Department said the Government was strengthening the licensing and grading of tourism establishments to improve standards and protect visitors.

Mr Mbanga said a tourism licence gave an operator legal authority to conduct business for three years and covered a wide range of enterprises, including accommodation establishments, tour operators, amusement and theme parks, travel agencies, car-hire businesses, safari operations, houseboats, hotels, convention centres, tour guides, events and catering businesses, and restaurants.

He said the licensing process had been simplified through online registration.

Mr Mbanga said licensing alone was not sufficient, as tourism facilities must also meet required standards through the grading system.

He said grading applied to bed-and-breakfast establishments, lodges, safari camps, bush camps, camping and caravan sites, and backpacker facilities, with establishments assessed on a one-to-five-star scale.

He said grading certificates were valid for two years and establishments were reassessed because standards and visitor expectations change.

“We do not want visitors to spend the night and leave the following morning determined never to return to that establishment,” Mr Mbanga said.

He said rural tourism facilities, in particular, required continued improvement to ensure that visitors received acceptable standards regardless of where they stayed.

Mr Mbanga encouraged tourism businesses to obtain licences and grading certificates, saying compliant establishments could be listed on tourism platforms and benefit from promotional opportunities.

He said the licensing and grading system also gave consumers greater confidence when selecting accommodation and other tourism services.

Mr Mbanga urged the media to educate the public about the importance of using licensed and graded tourism establishments as part of efforts to improve standards and strengthen Zambia’s competitiveness as a tourism destination.