Zambia’s tourism sector targets three million tourists by 2026, as growth reaches 20% in 2023

The Zambia Tourism Agency (ZTA) has announced that it targets to hit three million international tourists by 2026.

ZTA Chief Executive Officer, Matongo Matamwandi, said incentives such as the removal of retention fees, introduction of visa free access initiative would help the industry grow.

Matamwandi told Zambia Monitor in Lusaka that other factors which would ensure the agency achieved its target was the Tourism Development Fund, among other initiatives.

He said the agency was tracking numbers on monthly basis to ensure that the sector remained on track and hit its trajectory growth, especially now that a US$100 million loan facility had been signed between government and world Bank to support the sector.

“The sector’s performance has shown 15 percent to 20 percent growth from 2022 to 2023 for the month of August, which is a good indicator toward achieving the targeted 1.5 million international tourists for the year 2023,” Matamwandi said.

He said the Northern Circuit would be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the fund in terms of infrastructure development including the rehabilitation of Kasaba Bay, Lake Tanganyika, the source of Zambezi River Liuwa side of Western province.

“The agency’s strategy is to market the sector viably for tourist to spend more money not only on Victoria Falls but other tourism sites like the northern circuit,” Matamwandi said.

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