Direct flight between South Korea, Zambia proposed

THE International Tourism of the Korea Tourism Organisation, Executive Vice president, Lee Hak, has suggested the establishment of a direct flight between Zambia and the Republic of Korea to boost the tourism industry for the two countries.

Mr Lak is concerned that there was no direct flight from South Korea to Zambia, hence the need to improve accessibility to attract more tourists.

He expressed optimism that with increased volumes of tourists travelling to Zambia, interest may grow to establish direct flights between the two countries.

He said this when Zambia’s Ambassador to South Korean, Andrew Banda, called on him on Tuesday.

“Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of Koreans travelling to Zambia was around 33, 700 visitors. However, this trend had not recovered and more was needed to return to the pre Covid-19 levels,” Mr Lak said.

He also mentioned that the South Korean government regards Zambia as an important country and thus plans to establish an embassy in Zambia in 2024.

According to Mr Lak, the South Korean government will in June host the Korea-Africa summit and looked forward to Zambia’s participation at the highest level.

“The summit would provide an opportunity for expanding bilateral cooperation between the two countries, not only in tourism but also in other sectors. The Victoria Falls was well known by the Koreans, although not many knew that it was located in Zambia,” he said.

In response, Mr Banda indicated that the tourism sector is key for job creation and contribution to any country’s economy.