Tourism and Arts Minister Ronald Chitotela says there is need to reactivate tourism activities in Livingstone following the reopening of the Victoria Falls by President Edgar Lungu.
Mr Chitotela said this can be done by revitalizing the sector businesses but with strict adherence to the health guidelines under the New Normal.
He has expressed happiness at the fact that Livingstone has not recorded a single case of Covid-19 and said he hopes there will be no such case soon so that tourists can start having the needed confidence of safety as they visit the tourism capital.
Mr Chitotela has observed that Zambia’s tourism industry is a major contributor to the domestic economy and Government wants to see it grow.
The Minister said as other countries are relaxing restrictions in the wake of the new coronavirus, Zambia being a land-locked country too slowly has to relax measures so that tourism can start the recovery path.
Mr Chitotela is also happy that some tour operators in Livingstone are already working out measures to reduce price structures to benefit local tourists and hoped that this could change the domestic tourism profile in the country.
Speaking on the Assignment programme on Muvi TV, Mr Chitotela said the best tourism performing economies like China, France and Spain in the world have made it out of the domestic markets
And Southern Province Minister Edify Hamukale has visited the Victoria Falls with other provincial officials to assure tourists that it is safe to visit the tourism site.
Useless PF government of thieves by thieves. PF must go!
The local tourists who are broke and carrying Corona virus. Soon Livingston will be the epicentre. How about opening Kabwe textiles so that we can manufacture PPE for our health personnel and export extra PPE and gain revenue?
@Madilu system all you do is complain about government all day, all week..
Why rely on leadership for everything? The natural splendour of the Victoria Falls is just one exciting opportunity for a perfect start up in the tourism industry. No political party must ever be an excuse for our dormancy and failure to develop a strong Zambian tourist industry. Europeans and Americans are not interested which party is in power when they come to visit Zambia on vacation. they just want to have a good time.
I concur with nine chale. It is frustrating dealing with these sadist empty tins. Chale I have a lot of respect for your objectivity for some one based in diaspora. I just wonder what went wrong with the others. Anyway I digress. It is good to see our president looking so cool and collected
is it what Chitotela said which matters or what the pro active Hamukale is doing? wont all the hippos and crocodiles be sold under Chitotela as minister of tourism?
@nine chale & kaiza zulu, that kind of thinking will not take the country anywhere! Its common sense that opening the falls will not in anyway improve the tourism fortunes as envosaged, it is likely to bring COVID into livingstone further eroding a few strides gained by not having any cases so far. When government does not show logical policy directives, dont expect people to just sit back and watch a few visionless bunch mislead them! The best thing you could do is to listen to the complaints and hear the other point! Thats what normal and mature political leaders and their rogue advisers do!
@Tom there is need to gradually reopen businesses, including the tourism under safety guidelines. Greece, Italy and Spain and many other countries are doing the same. People will get used to the new reality.
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Local tourists cannot visit because they are scared of traveling during covid 19 and/or they are broke. Foreign tourists cannot come because they too are scared of covid 19, there are no flights available and no one would want to spend 14days in quarantine in Lusaka before finally getting to to visit the falls. Opening of the falls therefore will make very little difference to the economy of Livingstone.