A 2022 cabinet directive to Zambia’s government agencies to actively bid to host major international events is bearing fruit for the hospitality sector, with the Lusaka and Livingstone hosting of global conferences in recent months.
The influx of international delegates has provided a much-needed boost to hotels, conference venues and other tourism-related businesses, indicating recovery and opportunities for growth after the Covid-19 pandemic.
For 2026, the country has secured the hosting the African Marketing Confederation Conference, the African ICT Conference and the Africa Supply Chain Conference, all of which will take place in Livingstone, and bring in about 2 000 delegates.
According to data released in July by the tourism ministry, hotel occupancy has risen, with hotels in Livingstone reporting 70% occupancy. The national average is 55%, compared with 40% pre-2023.
Last December Zambia scrapped visa fees for travellers from an additional 53 countries, bringing to 167 the number whose nationals can enter the country visa-free. It based the decision on the rationale that increased visitor numbers and the gains in hotel bookings, local spending and visits to tourist sites would far outweigh the revenue lost from visa fees.
There is an international marketing push under the “Destination Zambia” campaign, which is leveraging high-profile platforms such as BBC Global Storytelling and Expedia to elevate Zambia’s profile as a premier travel destination.
The Expedia campaign targets key source markets the US, the UK and Germany, and promotes diverse destinations beyond the hubs of Lusaka, Ndola and Livingstone. It includes collaboration with more than 200 travel agents and 550 airlines.
“This partnership marks a milestone in Zambia’s strategy to elevate its global tourism image,” Zambia Tourism Agency chief executive Matongo Matamwandi said.
“It will help us attract high-value tourists and reach our 2025 target of 2.4 million international arrivals.”
In his State of the Nation address on 12 September, President Hakainde Hichilema said tourist arrivals had increased from 554 000 in 2021 to 2.2 million in 2024, a jump of almost 300% .
He attributed this to the visa waiver policy, as well as intensified marketing and the hosting of international meetings and conferences.
While international arrivals remain a priority, the government is also committed to stimulating domestic tourism through the “Take a Holiday Yamu Loko” campaign, which encourages Zambians to explore their own country.
The first half of 2025 saw a 92% increase in domestic tourists to more than 240 000 from 129 000 in the same period last year.
To improve connectivity to tourism destinations, the government is upgrading provincial airports and planning two new ones. The Lusaka, Ndola and Livingstone international airports have recently undergone upgrades to accommodate more traffic, while a fourth $85 million project is under way in Mfuwe, a tourism hotspot in the east of the country.
Using $100 million from the Green, Resilient and Transformational Development Project funded by the World Bank, the government is next year set to roll out tourism development initiatives across the country, including infrastructure in emerging tourism destinations, Hichilema told parliament in his address.
Zambia’s traditional tourism market has been in Livingstone, home to the Victoria Falls, and the Lower Zambezi,.
As the focus shifts to the “Northern Circuit”, local airlines are tapping into the drive by increasing in-country and regional flights.
Transport and Logistics Minister Frank Tayali said the government aims to position Zambia as a key aviation hub in the region by improving air connectivity and expanding aviation infrastructure.
In the past three years, Zambia has recorded a nearly 300% increase in international tourist arrivals, following the removal of visa fees
