Tourism in Zambia

Zambia's tourism industry is one of the country's growth potential areas. It has been given the non-traditional export status and is receiving a lot of support from the Government by way of infrastructure development, promotion of increased private sector participation, as well as attractive tax incentives for all investments in the sector.^[6]

Hunting is also an important part of the Zambian tourist industry. Though the country banned all hunting in January 2013 amid concerns of corruption and over hunting of certain species, it legalized hunting again for most species of plains game in 2014. Additionally, the Zambian Tourism Minister announced that leopards may be legally hunted starting in 2015 and lions may be hunted again beginning in 2016.^[7]

Due to Zambia's poor economic status, the country has historically relied on foreign aid in an attempt to alleviate poverty.^[34] Tourism has emerged in recent years as an alternate method to mining to boost Zambia's economy.^[35][36]

Tourism is being seen by Zambia's government as a tool for economic and rural development, as it generates income, creates jobs, promotes wildlife conservation, and improves standards of living.^[37][35]

The increasingly popular worldwide phenomena adventure tourism has also risen in popularity within Zambia, especially within the city of Livingstone, which is now becoming known as Africa's "adventure tourism capital".^[38]

Since tourism as an economic sector is boosted with cooperation between neighboring countries, Zambia, as a member of the South African Development Community (SADC), has cooperated with other countries within the SADC in order to mutually attract tourists.^[39]

Zambia, along with fellow SADC nations, have struggled to compete with other nations with more established tourist destinations, for a variety of reasons, some of which include difficulty in transportation to the countries, an absence of direct international flights, and failure to create attractive tourist experiences or products.^[39]

Efforts to Promote Tourism

As a member of the SADC,Zambia engaged in the following efforts to promote tourism.

SADC Tourism Protocol 1998 - Member countries are urged to create a "Univisa" that would allow tourists to travel across the borders of SADC countries freely. After initial success, in November 2014, Zambia and Zimbabwe signed a memorandum of understanding to put into effect a more permanent UNIVISA which allows tourists to visit both countries with a single visa.^[40]

Regional Tourism Organization of South Africa (RETOSA) 2002 - In an attempt to make the SADC more appealing to visitors, the charter imposed upon member states of SADC a series of protocols and programs to promote the region.^[39]

Zambia is currently struggling to facilitate tourism without creating a burden on local communities that would result in a loss of culture, an unstable economy, and compromised environment.^[39]

An increase in sport hunting and ecotourism has resulted in an increase in wildlife populations in South African countries such as Zambia. Since Zambia is home to so many national parks, waterfalls, and game management areas, most of Zambia's tourism is dependent on wildlife.^[41] Ecotourism within Zambia, while devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has played a major role in controlling poaching and bringing in foreign investment for wildlife protection.^[42]

One U.N. Development Programme, the Lion's Share, announced recently its commitment to grant $400,000 towards wildlife-based tourism in Zambia, in order to protect wildlife and generate jobs.^[43] Not only is wildlife essential to the development of Zambia's Tourism industry and thus Zambia's economy, but tourism is also essential to the preservation of wildlife in Zambia.^[41] The Minister of Tourism and Arts of Zambia stands by the framework defined in expectations and goals set out in the Agenda 2030, an initiative to increase tourism sustainability in Africa.^[44]

However, tourism has also been linked to an increase in urbanization within Zambia, at the detriment of the environmentalism efforts. Another challenge of tourism is documented instances of the Dengue Virus being spread throughout the region from other neighboring countries.^[45][46][47]

• 
  Victoria Falls Bridge
• 
  Lusaka National Museum
• 
  Victoria Falls
• 
  South Luangwa National Park
• 
  Lumangwe Falls
• 
  Ntumbachushi Falls
• 
  Kafue National Park
• 
  Ngonye Falls
• 
  Mfuwe Sunset
• 
  Samfya Beach
• 
  Zambezi River at junction of Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe & Botswana
• 
  Hippopotamus in the Zambezi River
• 
  Chisimba Falls
• 
  Lake Kariba in Siavonga
• 
  Bangweulu Wetlands

As of 1 October 2022, visa requirements were waived for tourists holding a passport from the following countries and territories:^[48]

Country	Gulf States	Europe
Australia	Bahrain	European Union
Canada	Kuwait	United Kingdom
China	Iraq	Norway
Japan	Oman
South Korea	Qatar
United States	Saudi Arabia
	United Arab Emirates

Most visitors arriving to Zambia were from the following countries of nationality:^[49][50][51]

Country	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2015	2014	2013
Tanzania	169,798	118,708	206,771	161,990	222,095	166,833	219,215	184,187
Zimbabwe	139,881	185,154	424,921	340,263	242,848	225,527	208,962	191,048
Democratic Republic of Congo	75,466	48,311	108,421	82,578	96,480	96,201	89,796	—
South Africa	36,018	28,437	92,033	94,170	92,486	94,030	98,216	87,048
India	14,944	10,960	30,789	25,505	22,337	25,517	21,117	17,136
Mozambique	14,765	12,955	23,671	19,899	19,833
Malawi	12,683	13,603	26,208	32,667	28,783	31,539	29,579	—
United States	12,256	6,120	39,930	41,390	39,121	38,496	32,625	31,826
Kenya	7,848	5,530	13,924	11,754	10,626
Botswana	7,315	8,991
United Kingdom	7,226	8,510	27,019	34,789	43,487	36,997	31,280	32,309
China	6,918	7,696	34,400	27,796	26,562	20,648	30,831	27,603
Namibia	6,148	7,537				22,311	16,742	—
Uganda	4,175
Germany	2,271	1,502	7,856	9,565	7,952
France	1,956	1,623	6,142	6,460	5,092
Netherlands	1,434	1,174
Canada	1,244	1,406	6,786	6,911	5,311
Italy	933	851	4,232	5,733	3,138
Australia	677	1,644	10,614	11,059	8,547
Denmark	424	379	1,670	1,764	2,225
Total	554,290	501,606	1,266,427	1,072,012	1,009,173	931,782	946,969	914,576

• Economy of Zambia: Tourism