Tourism booms again!

HOTELS are now recalling full workforce following improvement in tourist arrivals, Hotel and Catering Association of Zambia (HCAZ) chairperson for Siavonga region, Tikambilane Banda has said.

Mr Banda said the tourism sector was fast recovering from the negative effects of Covid-19.

He said the tourism and hospitality industry was hard hit by the pandemic and almost brought it to its knees, forcing a number of players in sector to send workers home.

Mr Banda said international tourist arrivals declined over 90 per cent between March and August this year amid global travel restrictions.

He said however that the sector was fast recovering and was hopeful that players in the sector would continue adhering to preventive measures so that the country does not fall into another wave of Covid 19 pandemic.

"As an association, we are happy that all our members are adhering to COVID 19 guidelines so we don't fall into a second wave which will have disastrous consequences on the tourism and hospitality industry," he said.

Mr Banda said while demand for accommodation from foreign tourists and visitors remain subdued, domestic tourism had boomed around the Kariba tourism circuit.

He, however, said the tourism sector still faced considerable challenges including travel restrictions, in other countries such as China.

And Tourism specialist Rose Musonda has called for scraping off of VAT on all tourism related goods and services.

Ms Musonda said the scraping of VAT on the tourism services will spar domestic tourism and help the sector recover from the impact caused by the COVID 19 pandemic.