The upcoming African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government Summit, which Zambia will host in July of next year, will assist the tourism industry significantly.
The gathering will not only improve the country’s name in the international tourism sector, but it will also pique interest in the country as a vacation spot as well as a venue for international conferences and conventions. As a country and host, you should start planning now, if you haven’t already, because the event provides a chance for the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry to package their services around the African Union Heads of State and Government summit.
If well managed, the event will result in greater employment and income for the country, as well as enhanced foreign exchange earnings. Zambia is expected to profit from tourism and recreation infrastructure developments, as well as increased business for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
Because the event will bring together a significant number of persons involved in the planning process – from sponsors and suppliers to travel agents – local SMEs will want to take advantage of the opportunity to generate business. MICE travelers typically spend a lot of money on local services like hotels, conference centers, restaurants, car rental services, and shopping, among other things, which makes this industry profitable.
As a result, we agree with Tourism and Arts Minister that event planners should start strategizing now in order to maximize the benefits of hosting larger events in Zambia. This will necessitate a review of the country’s infrastructure and their capacity to welcome Heads of State from the 55 member countries, as well as their delegates.
In light of this, Mr Sikumba says the Zambia Tourism Agency (ZTA) is assessing the capacities of existing facilities in order to provide guidance on the size and quantity of events that can be staged at any particular moment. Given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism business, players in the industry must take steps to ensure that they can accommodate a significant number of people and delegates.
According to research and market, if the COVID-19 pandemic had not occurred, the MICE sector would have grown by US$38.45 billion between 2020 and 2024, as the minister mentions. Event management has a lot of room for improvement, and it should be taken advantage of, especially at events like the AU Heads of State and Government Summit.
Source: allAfrica.com
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