• The prolonged restrictions are weighing heavily on the tourism industry.
• Local business was the major part of the income the tourism industry was benefiting from.
• There is no income coming in that direction.

Livingstone Tourism Association (LTA) says the ban on meetings, workshops and other corporate events in view of the Covid-19 pandemic is weighing heavily on the tourism sector.
Association Acting Chairperson, Hillary Kashempa told Money FM News in an interview that local business tourism was the major part of the income that the tourism industry was benefiting income from.
Mr. Kashempa stated that as a result of the restrictions, there is no business or money coming into the sector which largely depends on meetings, workshops and other events for income generation.
“That was the major part of the local business because if we are to break it down into the leisure tourism and business tourism of the local part, the business tourism of the local business was the major part of the income the tourism industry was benefiting from. So the ban means that there is no incoming coming in that direction.”
“It has further impacted the industry negatively and that was a huge part and obviously with a lot going on in the world and the country as well, there are few leisure tourists coming through,” Mr. Kashempa said.
Mr. Kashempa further stated that it is the Association’s hope o that the third wave can be managed soon, and more people get to access the vaccine so that the country does have prolonged restrictions because they are negatively affecting the industry.
“The other part that the industry depended on was the business part of things. Now with the ban on meetings and so on we are not seeing any business or money coming in from that direction.”
“The industry is affected much further so we are hoping the third wave can actually be managed soon, we are hoping numbers get to reduce, we are hoping more people get the vaccine so that we do not have these prolonged restrictions because they are weighing heavily on the tourism industry,” he added.
Last month, government announced that all issuance of permits by local authorities for any social gathering has been suspended in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Among the gatherings whose permits have been suspended are weddings, chilanga mulilos, matebetos, birthday parties, conferences, workshops among other gatherings.