Wed, 24 Jan 2018 16:41:23 +0000
By CECILIA MUBAMBE
ZAMBIA’S tourism sector has the potential to contribute greatly to the growth of the country’s economy, says Zambian ambassador to the United States Ngosa Simbyakula.
Dr Simbyakula said there was need for Zambia to have its presence at key tourism promotional events in the United States.
Dr Simbyakula said this when he visited the Zambian stand at this year’s Washington DC, travel and adventure show over the weekend which attracted over 25, 000 attendees.
In a statement issued to the Daily Nation, Dr Simbyakula said it was gratifying to see the embassy’s participation at the show and commended the Zambia Tourism Agency (ZTA) for availing the embassy with promotional materials that saw the mission successfully participate at the event.
He also urged the ZTA to regularly avail the embassy with current promotional materials and information to satisfy the US market.
“The travel shows provides an opportunity for travellers to congregate, learn, plan, and book their next holidays,” he said.
And first secretary – tourism Marsha Holdway said the Zambian booth attracted a considerable number of tour operators, travel agents, travel writers and Journalists, among others.
“Americans have a culture of vacationing so it is a strategy to have presence at well-known and well-attended events such as this to make inroads with selling Zambia as a leading tourism destination,” she said.
Meanwhile, Sustainable Tourism Development president Scott Wayne, who participated in developing Zambia’s Tourism policy through the World Bank, also visited the stand.
The travel and adventure show is the biggest travel event in Washington DC and one of the top five in the USA. The embassy is also scheduled to participate in the Chicago and Los Angeles travel shows next month.
