Geographic Description

Zambia is a landlocked country, bordered to the north by the Democratic Republic of Congo, to the northeast by Tanzania, to the east by Malawi and Mozambique, to the south by Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia and to the west by Angola.  The geography is mostly high plateau, with a few hills or mountains.

Tourism Policy Environment

Tourism development in Zambia is guided by two key documents, namely the:

• Tourism Policy (1999); and the
• Poverty Reduction Strategy (2002).

Zambia’s Tourism Policy stresses the importance of tourism development as a means of reducing poverty, particularly in rural areas (GRZ, 1999).  The goal of the Policy is “to facilitate the development of a diversified, sustainable and regionally competitive tourism industry and ensure a quality environment and sustainable utilization of heritage and natural resources” (GRZ, 1999).

Zambia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) clearly dictates that tourism must contribute effectively to the national GDP, foreign exchange earnings and poverty reduction, and that tourism growth must be conducive to private sector participation, environmentally sustainable growth and good governance. The PRSP recognises the potential for tourism to play an important role in rural develoment, while also recognising the multiplier effect of tourism development and its effect on infrastructure development. Tourism is viewed as a sector well suited to skills development, particularly entrepreneurial skills development (GRZ, 2002).

To assist in implementing national policy goals, the Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources (MTENR) was created in 2002. The Ministry resulted from the merger between the former Ministry of Tourism and the former Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources. This merger in itself indicates the Zambian government’s priority to integrate tourism development priorities with environmental and natural resource priorities.

Certification / Award Programmes

Private organisations such as the South Luangwa Conservation Society are key players in sustainable tourism in Zambia. The South Luangwa Conservation Society is committed to conserving local wildlife and natural resources in the National Park and the surrounding Game Management Areas through a variety of projects, including chilli fencing, village scout programs, an anti-snaring campaign and wildlife data collection.

In January 2009, the South Luangwa Conservation Society launched an awards programme to promote responsible tourism practices in Zambia. The South Luangwa Eco Awards encourage tourism businesses to operate in an environmentally sustainable, “eco-friendly” way. Ultimately, the goal is to raise operating standards and promote environmental conservation efforts in the area. The awards emphasise the sustainable use of resources, protection of the environment and support to local communities and social responsibility and are specific to the South Luangwa/Zambian conditions. Specifically, the award scheme focuses on best practice including, but not limited to:

• Protecting, conserving and investing in the environment;
• Minimising and reducing wastes;
• Preventing pollution;
• Encouraging linkages with local communities and supporting community projects;
• Responsible use of natural resources such as land, water, energy, timber, firewood, etc.;
• Providing direct financial benefits for conservation projects; and
• Educating tourists, staff and the local community.

Successful applicants are awarded a Bronze, Silver or Gold certificate depending on the outcome of their application. To apply, a fee of USD 100 is required. The scheme is non-profit, therefore the fees are used to cover expenses and any surplus at the end of the year is used for anti-poaching patrols in the South Luangwa area (South Luangwa Conservation Society, 2009). Since it is a new scheme, as of the date of this report, zero products have been certified.

TFCAs

Zambia is a party to five TFCAs, namely the Liuwa Plain-Kameia (with Angola), the Kavanago-Zambezi (with Angola, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe), the Lower Zambezi-Mana Pools (with Zimbabwe), the Malawi-Zambia, which is a combination of the Nyika and Kasungu/Lukusuzi TFCAs (with Malawi), and the ZIMOZA (with Mozambique and Zimbabwe).