Tourism sector turns to nature tourism in Zambia
Thématique :
zambie
Zambia is to increase the occurrence of nature tourism in the country after finding out that this niche was equally profitable, according to the findings of a study just concluded by the Natural Resources Consultative Forum (NRFC) released here Sunday by Andrew Chilufya project manager of the support for economic expansion and diversification (SEED) project in the ministry of tourism and natural resources.
The study, known as 'Zambia: Economic and Poverty Impact of Nature-based Tourism' , defines nature tourists as international visitors on holiday visiting natural attractions such as the Victoria Falls, wildlife or nature-based adventure activities and out of 669,000 international visitors who entered Zambia in 2005, about 176,000 were nature tourists.
On average, each nature tourist spent US$ 1,100 and this brought the total for a ll 176,000 nature tourists to US$ 194 million or 3.1 per cent of GDP.
In all, the tourism sector for 2005 had contributed about 10 per cent of the GDP while the mining sector had contributed 8.6 per cent, agriculture 6.5 per cent and manufacturing 10.6 per cent.
Nature tourism's direct contribution to employment is about 19,000 formal jobs while mining has 46,000; agriculture 56,000; and manufacturing a further 56,000 jobs.
The study found that hotels and restaurants, which are large providers of tourism services, comprised the second most important employment intensive sector in the Zambian economy.
"When indirect linkages to other sectors of the economy are included, the economic impact of nature tourism amounts to nearly 16 per cent of Zambian exports, over 6 per cent of wages and net income of unincorporated business, 7 per cent of go vernment revenue, nearly 10 per cent of formal sector employment and 6.5 per cen t of GDP.
Earnings for Zambia from nature tourism at US$ 1,100 compare favorably with what other countries are able to get from the same sector. In Kenya for example it is at US$ 405, South Africa it is at US$ 879 and Tanzania $1,105.
But though the tourism sector is an attractive option for investors investment in this sector, however, has been low. Henry Mwima, an official at SEED, points out that the mere fact that the private sector has been left to spearhead the growth has in turn resulted in the sector lacking depth in the tourism infrastructure that is not seen among Zambia's competitors.
"Bear in mind that nature tourism depends on nature and nature depends on the government's commitment to nature preservation. So real growth relies on policy, legislation and planning interventions, including development of training capacities, country marketing, data collection and sensible standards and licensing requirements as well as on large public investments in the necessary road, air, telecommunications and powe r infrastructure," Mwima stressed.
He adds that government should aim at improving existing and develop new tourism products and services in the country that would attract more tourists and more importantly, make the current tourists stay longer.
At the moment, nature tourists spend an average of 6.9 days in Zambia compared to 8.6 days in Botswana and 12.4 days in Namibia.
"If nature tourists would stay another two days, Zambia could increase its direct tourism earnings with US$ 98 million. Not only would this enable the government to achieve its targets for the tourism sector as outlined in the Fifth National
Development Plan, it would also establish the tourism sector as the growth sector it is supposed to be," Mwima said.
The SEED Project in the Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources is an initiative of the World Bank that is intended to improve infrastructure for Zambia in and around the resort of city of Livingstone which is Zambia's major to urist attraction.
The study, known as 'Zambia: Economic and Poverty Impact of Nature-based Tourism' , defines nature tourists as international visitors on holiday visiting natural attractions such as the Victoria Falls, wildlife or nature-based adventure activities and out of 669,000 international visitors who entered Zambia in 2005, about 176,000 were nature tourists.
On average, each nature tourist spent US$ 1,100 and this brought the total for a ll 176,000 nature tourists to US$ 194 million or 3.1 per cent of GDP.
In all, the tourism sector for 2005 had contributed about 10 per cent of the GDP while the mining sector had contributed 8.6 per cent, agriculture 6.5 per cent and manufacturing 10.6 per cent.
Nature tourism's direct contribution to employment is about 19,000 formal jobs while mining has 46,000; agriculture 56,000; and manufacturing a further 56,000 jobs.
The study found that hotels and restaurants, which are large providers of tourism services, comprised the second most important employment intensive sector in the Zambian economy.
"When indirect linkages to other sectors of the economy are included, the economic impact of nature tourism amounts to nearly 16 per cent of Zambian exports, over 6 per cent of wages and net income of unincorporated business, 7 per cent of go vernment revenue, nearly 10 per cent of formal sector employment and 6.5 per cen t of GDP.
Earnings for Zambia from nature tourism at US$ 1,100 compare favorably with what other countries are able to get from the same sector. In Kenya for example it is at US$ 405, South Africa it is at US$ 879 and Tanzania $1,105.
But though the tourism sector is an attractive option for investors investment in this sector, however, has been low. Henry Mwima, an official at SEED, points out that the mere fact that the private sector has been left to spearhead the growth has in turn resulted in the sector lacking depth in the tourism infrastructure that is not seen among Zambia's competitors.
"Bear in mind that nature tourism depends on nature and nature depends on the government's commitment to nature preservation. So real growth relies on policy, legislation and planning interventions, including development of training capacities, country marketing, data collection and sensible standards and licensing requirements as well as on large public investments in the necessary road, air, telecommunications and powe r infrastructure," Mwima stressed.
He adds that government should aim at improving existing and develop new tourism products and services in the country that would attract more tourists and more importantly, make the current tourists stay longer.
At the moment, nature tourists spend an average of 6.9 days in Zambia compared to 8.6 days in Botswana and 12.4 days in Namibia.
"If nature tourists would stay another two days, Zambia could increase its direct tourism earnings with US$ 98 million. Not only would this enable the government to achieve its targets for the tourism sector as outlined in the Fifth National
Development Plan, it would also establish the tourism sector as the growth sector it is supposed to be," Mwima said.
The SEED Project in the Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources is an initiative of the World Bank that is intended to improve infrastructure for Zambia in and around the resort of city of Livingstone which is Zambia's major to urist attraction.
