LUSAKA, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Zambia received 2,199,820 foreign tourists in 2024, Minister of Tourism Rodney Sikumba said on Thursday.
Sikumba said the figure represents an increase from 1,392,153 international arrivals recorded in 2023. He attributed the increase to the government's commitment including higher budget allocation to the tourism sector as well as the cooperation of all stakeholders in promoting the sector.
He said domestic tourism also grew in 2024, with 530,110 local tourists visiting various tourism sites, up from 486,418 recorded in 2023.
The government, he added, aims to increase international tourist arrivals in 2025 to over 2.4 million and boost domestic tourism by about 30 percent.
He expressed optimism that this would be achieved due to various marketing initiatives put in place such as a campaign launched last year to boost domestic tourism.
As part of efforts to promote the country's tourism sector, the government also launched Destination Zambia, a digital marketing strategy, which has seen 1.5 billion views on various social media handles, according to the minister.
The government, he said, is also working with communities in tourism sites and improving infrastructure such as airstrips to enhance the development of the tourism sector.
