Some travel and tourism stakeholders in Zambia demand national airline

In Zambia the TAJ Pamodzi Hotel has joined several travel and tourism stakeholders to call for a Zambia national airline as it is crucial in increasing the number of tourists coming to Zambia.

Hotel general manager Sanjay Sood said many tourists shun the country because of the long travelling time due to lack of a national airline that services direct flights to key destinations.

Set amidst tropical gardens in the heart of Lusaka’s business and government district, this luxurious hotel provides spacious comfort and modern amenities. Conveniently located just 22 km from the airport and 5 km from the city centre, you won’t find a more comprehensive range of services available in Zambia.

“We need to have a national airline as most people coming to Zambia feel the time they take to travel to Zambia is too much… Our industry still suffers with the challenge of how visitors get to Zambia,” Mr Sood said in response to a press query in Lusaka recently.

He said the hospitality industry has also been affected by the high cost of doing business that makes Zambia an expensive destination compared to other countries in the region.

Mr Sood, however, said the hospitality and tourism industries have potential to attract both domestic and international tourists although Government needs to prioritise the sector by allocating more funds to activities that will boost the sector.

“Government, through the Ministry of Tourism and Arts, is in the process of revising the tourism policy, which will clearly define the direction of our industry.

There [is need to have] more budgetary allocation for activities to market the country in order for us to pick up from the massive advertising we had during the UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organisation),” he said.
Mr Sood said Taj Pamodzi Hotel, which is one of the oldest hotels in the country, remains committed to contribute to the growth of tourism in the country through the provision of quality service.

He said the hotel will continue to improve its standards through refurbishment and staff training.

“The Taj Pamodzi has had a good year in terms of performance and goals set out for the year. We have this year seen the refurbishment of our banquet halls and this has brought our capacity to 500 pax for functions held at the Pamodzi,” he said.