According to a survey by the Ministry of Tourism in Zambia, the industry was only operating at 15% capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic, which cost the country millions of dollars in lost revenue and hundreds of jobs. The assessment concluded that the industry is now on the upswing.
However, the survey found that Livingstone, the nation’s tourism hub, has seen a 70% rise in visitors after travel restrictions were lifted.
Victoria Falls, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World shared with Zimbabwe, is one of the destinations where tourists are once again pouring in.
A large variety of bird species may be seen in Lagoon National Park, which is about 100 kilometres from the country’s capital Lusaka, as well as the annual migration of around 10 million fruit bats to Kasanka National Park.
The international travel and hospitality business is set to return to pre-pandemic levels, with twice as many people going abroad during the first quarter of 2023 than in the same period of 2022, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation.
According to data from the International Trade Administration, Zambia’s tourism industry brought in about $849 million in 2019. This is 3.7 percent of the nation of southern Africa’s GDP, or the entire amount of goods and services generated there in a calendar year.
One of many American travellers, Greg Jackson, is relieved that the COVID-19 outbreak is over.
“It feels great to travel around the world and be able to go places again,” he said. [Victoria Falls] is a beautiful natural place, and we’ve got to keep these places protected as long as we can.”
The return of international visitors comes as a relief to tourism operator Chipasha Mapoma.
“We have had a large increase in the scale of people coming through especially regarding our airlines which are usually fully booked,” he declared. “Now, we are getting a large number of people coming to the hotel. On a scale of 1 – 100, we are looking at [a minimum of more than 70 percent increase].”
UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said in the organiSations 2023 World Tourism Barometer the start of the year has shown again tourism’s ability to bounce back from a recession.
But while things are looking good, Pololikashvili cautions on the need to remain alert to challenges ranging from geopolitical insecurity, staffing shortages, and the potential impact of the cost-of-living crisis on tourism.