Zambia tourism body seeks stronger cooperation with China

LUSAKA, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Officials at the Tourism Council of Zambia (TCZ) have said that the council wants to see increased cooperation with China.

The TCZ is keen to tap into the huge Chinese market to boost Zambia's tourism, said Tecla Zondiwe-Ngwenya, the TCZ treasurer.

"It is a market that we are paying much attention to and respect," she said in an interview Wednesday.

The Chinese are welcome to visit tourist sites in Zambia and invest in various untapped tourism areas in the country, Zondiwe-Ngwenya said.

She said the Zambian government's decision to include China in the visa waiver initiative was made with the consideration of the potential China could add to Zambia's tourism growth, adding that plans to introduce direct flights between the two countries will go a long way in boosting both tourism and trade cooperation.

Victor Inambwae, the TCZ chief executive officer, applauded the cordial cooperation between the two countries in various sectors, including cultural exchanges and tourism.

He said the launch of the 2024 Zambia-China Culture and Tourism Year last month in China, which included not only a display of Zambia's rich culture but also a promotional session for Zambian tourism attended by nearly 1,000 industry professionals from the two countries, would go a long way in enhancing the tourism cooperation between the two countries.

China has played a pivotal role in supporting Zambia's tourism, Inambwae said, citing the construction of the TAZARA Memorial Park, in Chongwe district in Lusaka Province, as one example of helping attract more international tourists.

Stephen Mwansa, a TCZ service-level consultant, said the two countries stand to benefit from enhanced cooperation in the tourism sector as Zambia has many tourist areas that have not been developed and need investments from countries like China.

He said China could also help promote Zambia's tourism resources.

"As you know China has constructed a lot of infrastructure here which could be marketed," he said.