Tourism has potential to grow economy -Muhanga

The Ministry of Tourism Permanent Secretary, Evans Muhanga says there is a need for the tourism sector to grow so that it supports the country’s economic trajectory.

Mr. Muhanga said this can be done through the formation of strong partnerships with other ministries such as the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development which provides the utilities and infrastructure in communities on which the tourism industry benefits from.

The Permanent Secretary stressed the critical role of the Local Government in tourism, hence the need to open up new possibilities and ways of doing business so that the sector continues to thrive.

Speaking at the official opening of the Local Authorities workshop in Lusaka, Mr. Muhanga stated the outcome of the training will have a significant impact on the development of the tourism sector and country at large.

He expressed confidence that the training was an opportunity to explore ways of both harnessing the potential of tourism to transform lives and seek effective ways of achieving positive transformation in the sector itself. He said that it is evidence of the determination to accelerate the pace of transformation in every sector of the country’s economy and making the national aspiration a reality.

Mr. Muhanga explained the economic activity across the tourism value chain that contributes significantly to the GDP, adding that it already provides substantial resources to advance transformation.

“This training workshop would not have come at a better time than this, when the country is on the path of economic transformation and growth and stakeholder engagement will form part of the strategies in which tourism will be enhanced and value created,” Mr. Muhanga stated.

The Permanent Secretary also noted the implementation of the e-licensing and grading system by the Zambia Tourism Agency (ZTA) as one way of ensuring that it offers quality assured tourism destinations for both the domestic and international market.

He therefore appealed to the tourism enterprise to remain compliant with all the requirements needed to run a business.

Speaking at the same event, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Permanent Secretary for Administration Mambo Hamaundu explained that the councils are a multipurpose unit responsible for delivering a broad range of services in relation to various infrastructure in communities.

Mr. Hamaundu said the local authority is therefore ready to work with ZTA in uplifting the tourism standards, hence underscored both ministries’ ambition of providing a service that fulfills the needs of the stakeholders through the workshop.

Mr. Hamaundu was hopeful that the training will be a continuous interaction to form the basis for a more sustainable tourism sector that responds to the obligations and mandate of the ministries. “I am hopeful that training will address all the challenges and opportunities to foster tourism development in our country,” Mr. Hamaundu noted.

And ZTA Acting Chief Executive Officer, Chavunga Lungu reported the high expectations from the stakeholders hence, the Agency is working around the clock to ensure the industry gets the system that brings value and quality to destinations.

Mr. Lungu said that in an effort to improve the standards, the Agency has embarked on the grading of accommodation among tourism businesses and setting of minimum standards. He disclosed that ZTA has so far graded about 33 accommodation facilities and licensed about 2000 tourism enterprises in the country, adding that both processes are ongoing.