Zambia - Travel and Tourism (2024)

Overview

Zambia’s tourism industry is based on its wildlife protected areas (20 national parks and 34 game management areas comprising about 30 percent of the country’s territory), abundant lakes and rivers, and its rich and diverse culture. Its most notable site is Victoria Falls, the only waterfall in the world with a length of more than a kilometer and a height of more than one hundred meters. Victoria Falls, a UNESCO Heritage Site, is considered the largest sheet of falling water in the world.

Zambia’s Ministry of Tourism reported a 10.5 percent increase in international arrivals (554,290) for 2021 (most recent data available), compared to 2020 (501,606). Despite this increase, the 2021 arrivals remained 56 percent below Zambia’s 2019 pre-pandemic peak of 1,266,427. In 2021, the tourism sector comprised 5.8 percent of Zambia’s GDP – compared to the 2019 historical high of 9.8 percent.

Beyond its post-pandemic recovery, the growth of Zambia’s tourism sector continues to be hindered by inadequate transportation and tourism infrastructure and the lack of a coordinated tourism development policy.

Opportunities

There are investment opportunities in tourism services and activities (e.g. safaris, canoeing, game drives, nature walks, bungee jumping, micro light flights, sport fishing and rock climbing) and infrastructure.

Key government and regulatory agencies: