Zambia’s Ministry of Tourism has unveiled its “IMMACULATE” delivery framework to boost tourism investment, diversify the country’s tourism offerings and help achieve its target of attracting five million international visitors annually by 2031, Permanent Secretary Evans Muhanga has announced.
According to a press release Issued by the Public Relations Officer of the Ministry, Godfrida Chanda-Chisala, Mr. Muhanga presented the framework during the ongoing Tourism Delivery Lab convened by the Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU) in Lusaka, where Government is focusing on translating priority commitments into measurable development outcomes.
He said the IMMACULATE framework would guide the Ministry’s interventions, strengthen coordination and focus resources on key priorities required to unlock the tourism sector’s growth potential.
Mr. Muhanga noted that the framework is built around nine strategic pillars: Incentives, Marketing, MICE and Sports Tourism, two distinct “A” pillars (Access and Aviation), Cultural Tourism, Unique Tourism Products, Legal Reforms, Training and Enterprise.
Under Incentives, he disclosed that the Ministry will champion a competitive and investor-friendly incentives regime to stimulate domestic and foreign investment in tourism infrastructure, accommodation facilities and product development.
On the Marketing pillar, the Permanent Secretary mentioned that will drive an aggressive destination-marketing strategy to strengthen Zambia’s international visibility through digital platforms, targeted promotional campaigns and engagement with key source markets.
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Through MICE and Sports Tourism, he explained that the Ministry intends to expand Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE), alongside sports-related tourism, to attract visitors throughout the year and increase demand for tourism services.
On the first “A”, Access, Mr. Muhanga said the focus will be on improving road networks and supporting infrastructure to open up more tourism destinations and enhance accessibility to key attractions.
He further noted that this would include developing and expanding loop roads within protected areas and around heritage sites, allowing visitors to explore a wider range of tourism products and experiences.
Mr. Muhanga said that the approach is intended to improve access to tourism destinations throughout the year, while recognizing that some attractions may naturally be accessible only during specific seasons due to prevailing conditions.
On the second “A”, Aviation, he disclosed that the Ministry will focus on improving air connectivity by attracting more airlines to operate in Zambia and expanding access to international, regional and domestic markets.
“This will involve strategic engagement with stakeholders across the aviation industry through Routes meetings held worldwide, alongside targeted roadshow engagements with airlines operating long-haul, regional and domestic routes,” The Permanent Secretary acknowledged.
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He added that the Ministry will also work through the Airlift Zambia Committee, comprising public- and private-sector players, to develop and present an inclusive and compelling business case to airlines, demonstrating the commercial opportunities available in Zambia’s tourism market.
“The aviation strategy is expected to strengthen collaboration between tourism and aviation stakeholders, improve connectivity to key destinations and support efforts to grow international arrivals,” The Permanent Secretary guided.
Discussing the Cultural Tourism pillar, he outlined that the Ministry seek to preserve, package and promote Zambia’s rich cultural heritage, traditional ceremonies and local experiences as distinctive tourism products capable of attracting both domestic and international visitors.
Under Unique Tourism Products, Mr. Muhanga noted that the Ministry will promote diversification beyond traditional wildlife tourism and the Victoria Falls experience by developing niche products that broaden Zambia’s tourism offering and encourage visitors to explore more destinations.
On the Legal Reforms pillar, he explained that the focus will be on reviewing and modernising the tourism legal and regulatory framework to create an enabling environment for investment, improve the ease of doing business and support sustainable sector growth.
Through Training, Mr. Muhanga noted that the Ministry will prioritise human-capital development, skills training and capacity building to improve service delivery and promote excellence across the tourism value chain.
“The Enterprise pillar places emphasis on strengthening local tourism businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), youth-led ventures and women-led enterprises, to promote inclusive growth, entrepreneurship and employment creation,” he guided.
Mr. Muhanga re-affirmed the Ministry’s commitment to working with public- and private-sector stakeholders to ensure effective implementation of the IMMACULATE framework and accelerate progress towards Zambia’s tourism development targets.
The framework is expected to provide strategic direction for coordinated interventions across the tourism value chain, with the broader objective of increasing investment, diversifying tourism offerings, improving destination accessibility and strengthening the sector’s contribution to enterprise development and job creation.
