Zambia Celebrates Tourism Growth at 3rd Tourism Excellence Awards
Zambia’s tourism sector is celebrating another year of remarkable progress, with Government announcing that the country is on course to reach 2.4 million international arrivals by the end of 2025 and an estimated 3 million in 2026.
Speaking at the Third Tourism Excellence Awards in Lusaka, Minister of Tourism Rodney Sikumba said the sector’s strong performance has been driven by increased market outreach in India, China and the Gulf region, alongside a revitalised national MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) calendar.
He confirmed that Zambia had recorded 2 million arrivals as of October 2025, reflecting sustained growth throughout the year.
Mr Sikumba attributed the surge to strategic Government efforts, including improved air connectivity, ongoing regulatory reforms, skills development, and the continued rollout of the domestic tourism campaign.
He also highlighted progress under the GREAT-TDP programme, which is channelling US$100 million into tourism infrastructure and service enhancement.
Zambia Tourism Agency (ZTA) Board Chairperson Daan Brink noted the Agency’s transformative progress since the appointment of the Board in 2022. He said ZTA’s projections for 2026 remain strong, driven by both domestic and international tourism momentum.
Mr Brink praised the success of the Holiday Yamu Loko domestic tourism campaign, which has achieved 10% growth and now includes more than 107 participating operators. The campaign is targeting 5,000 domestic bookings as more Zambians embrace local travel.
He also highlighted ZTA’s exceptional recognition on the regional and global stage, with recent awards including Best Leisure Destination in Africa at the Africa Travel Indaba, Best Domestic Campaign from the Zambia Institute of Marketing, Best Digital Campaign from the African Marketing Confederation, and Organisation of the Year at the Zambia Business Awards.
Mr Brink said Destination Zambia’s digital footprint continues to grow, supported by the 1.5 billion global views recorded across platforms in 2024. He added that Zambia’s presence at international trade exhibitions has strengthened significantly, with the country recording 44 co-exhibitors at Africa’s Travel Indaba.
The evening concluded with the presentation of the prestigious Tourism Excellence Awards, celebrating outstanding innovation, service quality and leadership across Zambia’s tourism industry.
