By Onishias Maamba in Chipata
Minister of Tourism and Arts Charles Banda says cabinet has passed the tourism master plan which will run until 2030.
Mr Banda says the master plan which is a roadmap on how the ministry will carry on with the development of the tourism sector which is now second to agriculture for Zambia away from mining because of its potential to create jobs for many citizens.
Mr Banda says tourism world over has been classified as number three sector where jobs and wealth creation is concerned in which out of eleven jobs in the world, one is from the tourism sector.
Mr Banda says 2013 statistics show that 1.6 billion people are traveling every year and raising up-to about US$1.78 trillion of the world GDP therefore, the need for Zambia to realize this is big business which can be tapped into to attract tourists.
But Mr. Banda says to receive more if these tourists in the country, there is need for infrastructure development which includes air transport and the hospitality industry providing accommodation a tourist would want to use.
And Mr Banda says Zambia has now been recognized as a potential hub of air transportation in the Southern African region.
Mr. Banda says Israeli Air which has flies to South Africa and Tanzania now wants to close routes to the two countries because of xenophobic matters being filtered out of South Africa and insecurity in Tanzania from tension in neighboring Kenya, emphasizing that Israel is not comfortable in such environments.
He says during his trip to Israel a fortnight ago, he was told Israel would therefore start flying into Lusaka and to Tel Aviv because of Zambia’s peace and stability while Liberia is also planning flights into Lusaka.
