Business tourists dominate visits

Zimbabwe, Victoria Falls, Zambesi, Zambesi River Valley, Rafting along Zambesi River

According to the latest Tourism Statistical Digest, Zambia recorded 710,062 tourists’ arrivals in Africa accounting for 76.2 percent of total international tourist arrivals followed by Europe which contributed 88,554 tourists representing 9.5 percent.

America contributed 5.3 percent of the total arrivals; Asia contributed 7.7 percent whilst Australia contributed 1.3 percent to the total arrivals

In the figures for 2015 for the Tourism Statistical Digest, Africa recorded approximately 53 million tourist arrival from the total of 1,184 million arrivals traveling the world representing 4.5 percent of the total arrival.

Zambia recorded a total of 931,782 international tourists arrivals in 2015 compared to 946,969 tourists in 2014 resulting in a decline of 1.6 percent.

Out of the 53.3 million international tourists’ arrivals to Africa, Zambia received only 1.7 percent of the total tourists’ arrivals in Africa.

Business tourists were dominant under the purpose of visit category, contributing 54 percent and holiday/leisure was second at 25 percent.

By gender, the total number of tourist arrivals comprised 548,431 males and 383,351 females, representing 59 percent and 41 percent respectively.

The Tourism Statistical Digest records that the major mode of transport used by tourists was by road representing 70.1 percent and the least was water representing 0.3 percent.

The total number of tourist visits to the five national parks inclusive of Lusaka Park was 101, 972.

The Victoria Falls, which is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and Zambia’s flagship tourism product, recorded 141,929 tourists compared to 152,798 tourists in 2014, representing a drop of 7.7 percent.

During the year under review, the total number of rooms available was 43,119 as compared to 42,932 in 2014, representing an increase of 0.4 percent.

This is contained in a statement issued to QFM News by Ministry of Tourism and Arts Public Relations Officer Sakabilo Kalembwe.