SIKUMBA URGES BOLD REFORMS TO BOOST AIR CONNECTIVITY AND TOURISM ACROSS AFRICA

Travel/Tourism News Tourism

Posted by admin on July 23, 2025 at 8:23 AM

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Zambia’s Minister of Tourism and Chairperson of the UN Tourism Commission for Africa (CAF), Rodney Sikumba, has called for transformative reforms to unlock Africa’s tourism potential through enhanced air connectivity, policy harmonisation, and inclusive infrastructure investment. Delivering a virtual keynote at the 2nd UN Tourism ICAO Ministerial Conference on Tourism and Air Transport in Africa, Sikumba emphasized that the continent’s record 74 million international tourist arrivals in 2024 signals a post-pandemic resurgence but warned that high travel costs, low intra-African connectivity, and underinvestment remain major barriers. “We must move beyond dialogue and commit to real, inclusive, and sustainable solutions,” he urged, reaffirming Zambia’s commitment to regional collaboration and infrastructure development. Implement the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) to liberalize skies and reduce travel costs, harmonize tourism and aviation policies across Member States, promote smart and green technologies for sustainable travel and Ensure accessibility for persons with disabilities and limited mobility. Sikumba also highlighted Zambia’s domestic efforts, including visa-free access for 167 countries, airstrip upgrades, and wildlife restocking, as part of a broader strategy to position Zambia as a premier travel destination.