• Zambia has made steps looking at how quickly to actualize metrics by the two countries.
• The two countries should leverage on their strength of long common border and shared cultures.
• Angola government remains committed to the furtherance and explore bilateral cooperation in tourism development.

Tourism Minister has called for joint marketing and product diversification between Zambia and Angola to encourage tourists to increase length of stay in the region.

Speaking during a bilateral meeting between the Government of Angola and Zambia in Lusaka, Rodney Sikumba said Zambia has made steps looking at how quickly to actualize metrics by the two countries to identify potential and give ideas to get round some challenges the sector is facing.

Mr. Sikumba stated that the two countries should leverage on their strength of long common border and shared cultures to make sure that more achieved in the much-needed tourism development.

“Tourism for us is something that generates all the time and that is why some of us in Zambia are very excited on how best we are putting value to the sector, it has become prominent today where our contribution to GDP pre-Covid days was still about 7.2 percent and we are looking at increasing our contribution to double digit by the end of next year,” Mr. Sikumba stated.

And Angolan Minister of Culture and Tourism Filipe Zau says there is a political will from his government to cooperate in the tourism, culture and Environment.

Mr. Zau his country recognizes that properly planned tourism is sustainable unlike extractive industries that take minerals away, calling for promotion of exchange visits and airline connectivity key to unlock tourism.

He however explained that the challenge is that he was just recently appointed to this office and that in that country, the ministry of environment has been separated meaning it has a new Minister, and according to the MoU most of the aspects there has to do with Conservation which is a sector that he doesn’t respond to.

“The Angola government remains committed to the furtherance and explore bilateral cooperation in the area of tourism development focusing on capacity building and promotion and preservation of culture,” Mr. Zau said.