Mr Chikonde’s speech at the Tourism Road Show
Tuesday April 17, 2012
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WELCOME REMARKS BY:
HIS EXCELLENCY MR. MUYEBA CHIKONDE, HIGH
COMMISSIONER OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA TO THE
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA AT ZAMBIA TOURISM BOARD
ROAD SHOW
DISTINGUISHED INVITED GUESTS
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
IT IS INDEED A GREAT PLEASURE AND HONOUR TO BE
AMONG YOU TODAY AND I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME YOU
ALL TO THIS ROAD SHOW WHOSE MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO
UPDATE YOU ON THE TOURISM PRODUCT OFFERING IN
ZAMBIA. IT IS MY SINCERE HOPE THAT AT THE END OF
THE WORKSHOP YOU WILL ALL BECOME OUR GREAT
AMBASSADORS FOR PROMOTING DESTINATION ZAMBIA.
DISTINGUISHED INVITED GUESTS, LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA
ATTACHES GREAT IMPORTANCE TO THE TOURISM SECTOR
WHICH IS PLACED AS ONE OF THE KEY ECONOMIC
DRIVERS NEXT TO AGRICULTURE AND MINING. IN VIEW
OF THIS GOVERNMENT IS PURSUING PROGRAMS AIMED AT
DEVELOPING AND IMPROVING THE TOURISM
INFRASTRUCTURE SUCH AS:
UPGRADING OF LIVINGSTONE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
DEVELOPING AND IMPROVING INFRASTRUCTURE AT
KASABA BAY WHICH INCLUDES THE ACCESS ROADS,
ACCOMMODATION FACILITIES AND UPGRADE OF THE
AIRPORT TO MAKE THE NORTHERN REGION MORE
ACCESSIBLE TO THE TOURISTS
IMPROVING ACCESS ROADS IN THE MAJOR NATIONAL
PARKS IN ORDER TO EXTEND THE TOURISM SEASON.
AS A FURTHER TESTIMONY TO THE NEW GOVERNMENT’S
COMMITMENT TO TOURISM, THE NEW PF GOVERNMENT HAS
THIS YEAR INCREASED THE BUDGET ALLOCATION FOR
THE PROMOTION AND MARKETING OF ZAMBIA’S TOURISM.
I WOULD THEREFORE LIKE TO CHALLENGE THE ZAMBIA
TOURISM BOARD TO INCREASE TOURIST ARRIVALS FROM
THE SOUTH AFRICAN MARKET WHICH IS ONE OF THE
MOST IMPORTANT SOURCE MARKETS FOR ZAMBIA. IT IS
IMPERATIVE THAT WE GIVE THIS MARKET THE
ATTENTION THAT IT DESERVES BY COMMITING MORE
RESOURCES. INCREASING ACTIVITES IN THIS MARKET
WILL HELP THE TOURISM BOARD TO REACH THEIR
PROJECTED TARGET OF ONE MILLION TOURIST ARRIVALS
BY THE END OF 2012. THE ZAMBIAN MISSION IN
PRETORIA STANDS READY TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE
TOURISM BOARD AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR PLAYERS TO
ACHIVE THE ABOVE TARGET.
CAPTAINS OF THE INDUSTRY, COLLEAGUES
MAY I TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DISPEL SOME OF
THE FEARS THAT HAVE RECENTLY GRIPPED THE TOURISM
INDUSTRY IN SOUTH AFRICA REGARDING THE YELLOW
FEVER SITUATION. I KNOW THEY HAVE BEEN A LOT OF
CONCERNS FROM MOST OF YOU AND IAM AWARE THAT
SOME MAY HAVE LOST BUSINESS FROM THE TIME THAT
THIS REQUIREMENT FOR TRAVELERS BETWEEN ZAMBIA
AND SOUTH AFRICA TO HAVE YELLOW FEVER
VACCINATION WAS INTRODUCED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN
GOVERNMENT. THERE IS NO OUTBREAK OF YELLOW FEVER
IN ZAMBIA. THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (W.H.O)
RECLASSIFIED ZAMBIA AS A COUNTRY WITH A MINIMAL
RISK OF YELLOW FEVER AFTER IDENTIFIYING A SMALL
AREA IN THE NORTH WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTRY
THAT HAD TRACES OF YELLOW FEVER.
I WOULD LIKE TO ASSURE THE TOURISM
PLAYERS THAT DESTINATION ZAMBIA IS FREE FROM
THIS PANDEMIC. I AM AWARE THAT THE MINISTRY OF
HEALTH IN ZAMBIA IS IN THE PROCESS OF ENGAGING
THEIR COUNTERPART HERE IN SOUTH AFRICA TO CHART
THE WAY FORWARD REGARDING THIS REQUIREMENT AS
ZAMBIA IS A LOW RISK COUNTRY AND ACCORDING TO
THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION SUCH COUNTRIES DO
NOT REQUIRE COMPULSORY YELLOW FEVER
INNOCULATION.
MAY I ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
THE INCREASED CONNECTIVITY TO OUR DESTINATION,
WE NOW HAVE DIRECT FLIGHTS FROM DUBAI BY
EMIRATES, KLM WILL ALSO BE INTRODUCING DIRECT
FLIGHTS BETWEEN AMSTERDAM AND LUSAKA IN MAY THIS
YEAR. THIS IS IN ADDITION TO THE ALREADY
EXISTING DIRECT FLIGHT FROM LONDON.
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS
ZAMBIA IS THE HOME OF THE MAGNIFICENT VICTORIA
FALLS, ONE OF THE SEVEN NATURAL WONDERS OF THE
WORLD AND A WORLD HERITAGE SITE AND ALSO HOME TO
MORE THAN TWENTY (20) WONDERFUL WATERFALLS
DOTTED AROUND THE COUNTRY. OUR DESTINATION ALSO
BOOSTS OF ABUNDANT WILDLIFE IN THE PRISTINE
WILDERNESS OF OUR TWENTY (20) NATIONAL PARKS AND
THIRTY-SIX (36) GAME MANAGEMENT AREAS, RICH AND
DIVERSE CULTURE AND MANY MORE. WE INDEED HAVE A
DIVERSE TOURISM PRODUCT OFFERING WHICH I
ENCOURAGE YOU TO PROMOTE TO YOUR CLIENTS; ZAMBIA
IS MORE THAN JUST THE VICTORIA FALLS. I INVITE
YOU ALL TO VISIT OUR BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY TO
EXPERIENCE OUR FANTASTIC TOUIRSM PRODUCTS AND
ENJOY THE WARM HOSPITALITY OF THE ZAMBIAN
PEOPLE. AT THIS JUNCTURE, ALLOW ME TO THANK THE
SOUTH AFRICAN OPERATORS THAT HAVE BEEN SENDING
VISITORS TO ZAMBIA; PLEASE CONTINUE SUPPORTING
US. TO THOSE WHO ARE YET TO DO SO PLEASE
CONSIDER INCLUDING OUR WONDERFUL COUNTRY AS A
PRIORITY DESTINATION IN SADC.
INVITED GUESTS
ZAMBIA IS A VERY SAFE AND SECURE TOURIST
DESTINATION AND ALSO POLITICALLY STABLE. WE HAVE
ENJOYED PEACE AS A COUNTRY FOR DECADES; OUR
COUNTRY IS INDEED A BEACON OF PEACE IN THE
REGION. ZAMBIANS ARE PEACE LOVING AND FRIENDLY
PEOPLE AS CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED BY THE PEACEFUL
DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS THAT THE COUNTRY HAS
SUCCESSFULLY HELD IN THE PAST AND THE SMOOTH
TRANSITION OF POWER TO THE NEW GOVERNMENT.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
AS YOU MIGHT BE AWARE, ZAMBIA AND ZIMBABWE WILL
CO-HOST THE 20TH SESSION OF THE UNWTO
GENERAL ASSEMBLY (UNWTO – GA) IN AUGUST 2013.
THE EVENT WILL BE HOSTED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN
SOUTHERN AFRICA. I WOULD LIKE TO THEREFORE
ENCOURAGE YOU THE TRAVEL TRADE IN SOUTH AFRICA
TO START COMING UP WITH SPECIAL PACKAGES FOR THE
GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND ALSO ASSIST OUR ZAMBIAN
OPERATORS TO LEARN HOW TO PACKAGE MEGA EVENTS
HAVING HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF PROMOTING 2012
WORLD CUP.
INVITED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
IN CONCLUSION, ALLOW ME TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE
AND APPRECIATION TO LLOYD ORR COMMUNICATIONS WHO
HAVE WORKED TIRELESSLY TO ENSURE THAT THIS
IMPORTANT EVENT BECOMES A REALITY. I WISH TO
ALSO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO EXTEND MY SINCERE
GRATITUDE TO ALL OUR INVITED GUESTS FOR HAVING
SPARED TIME TO COME AND JOIN US THIS MORNING – A
BIG THANK YOU. MY OTHER THANK YOU GOES TO THE
ZAMBIAN OPERATORS FOR THEIR CONSISTENT
PARTNERSHIP IN PROMOTING ZAMBIA AS A DESTINATION
OF CHOICE IN THE SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA IN THE
SOURCE MARKETS.
WITH THESE FEW WORDS, I THANK YOU ALL ONCE AGAIN
FOR COMING THROUGH TO THIS NETWORKING EVENT
WHICH I HOPE YOU WILL FIND TO BE FRUITFUL AND
INFORMATIVE. I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO
INTERACT WITH OUR ZAMBIAN OPERATORS DURING THE
WORKSHOP IN ORDER TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
TOURISM IN ZAMBIA.
IT IS NOW MY PLEASURE AND PRIVILEGE TO DECLARE
THIS WORKSHOP OFFICIALLY OPEN.
ENJOY THE REST OF THE DAY.
I THANK YOU
………………………………………
A day after the event, the electronic Travel
News (eTNW) published a story from Mr Chikonde’s
speech at the event. The story appeared as
follows:
Zambia : Let's Explore
By Anna-Belle Mulder
Zambia Tourism held its roadshow at the Hilton
in Sandton yesterday morning.
It was opened by an address from Muyeba
Chikonde, High Commissioner of the Republic of
Zambia to South Africa.
The main objective of the roadshow was to
educate the travel trade in South Africa on what
Zambia has to offer.
"The government of the Republic of Zambia
attaches great importance to the tourism sector
which is placed as one of the key economic
drivers next to agriculture and mining," said
the High Commissioner.
The Zambian government aims to increase tourism
through the following upgrades to
infrastructure:
.
Upgrading of Livingstone International Airport
.
Developing and improving infrastructure at
Kasaba Bay, including access roads,
accommodation facilities and the upgrade of the
airport.
.
Improving access roads to major national parks
"The new PF government has increased the budget
allocation for the promotion and marketing of
Zambia's tourism. I would like to challenge the
Zambia Tourism Board to increase tourist
arrivals from the South African market, which is
one of the most important source markets for
Zambia. It is imperative that we give the market
the attention that it deserves by committing
more resources," said Chikonde.