By Jane Chanda
Economist Trevor Hambayi says Zambia’s tourism industry is losing significant revenue due to its flawed visa policy and the devastating impact of climate change on iconic attractions like Victoria Falls.
And Hambayi said many Zambians opt for international tourism because it’s more affordable.
In an interview with Daily Revelation, Hambayi advocated for Zambia to charge foreign nationals the same fees it paid to visit their countries, rather than forfeiting revenue through unilateral visa fees.
He said this change would help Zambia generate more revenue from its tourism sector, which was crucial for the country’s economic growth.
Hambayi also bemoaned the alarming decline of Victoria Falls’ water levels due to hydroelectric power diversion and climate change, which severely impacted the tourism sector.
He said Zambia’s tourism sector would receive more investment and create jobs if the government addressed the visa policy imbalance and invested in local tourism infrastructure.
Hambayi said Zambia needed to re-assess its visa fee policy to boost revenue.
He said the current policy resulted in lost revenue due to the country paying for visas for other nations without reciprocation.
Hambayi further added that Zambia’s tourism sector urgently required bold and strategic measures to revive its growth.
He said in order to achieve this, there was need to focus on incentivising local tourism, developing niche markets, and aggressively promoting the country’s unique attractions which would enable the country to tap into its vast tourism potential, creating jobs and generating revenue.
During the presentation of the budget, Finance and National Planning minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane indicated that Zambia’s tourism sector had shown promising growth in the first half of 2024, with a 21 percent increase in international arrivals, totaling 732,732 visitors compared to the same period in 2023.
The minister said to further boost tourism, plans were underway to operate the Victoria Falls Border for 24 hours, making it more convenient for tourists to explore one of Zambia’s most iconic attractions.
