Zambia re-branding its tourism product

The Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources says it is re-branding its tourism product to make it more appealing to the international market.

The Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources says it is re-branding its tourism product to make it more appealing to the international market.

Minister of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources Catherine Namugala said the measure is meant to improve the tourism campaign.

Ms Namugala said the re-branding will give the ministryโ€™s growing tourism product a fresh and stimulating brand name.

She was speaking at the launch of the competition to re-brand Zambiaโ€™s tourism held at the ministryโ€™s headquarters in Lusaka on January 28.

Ms Namugala said as a starting point, there is need for a logo and a slogan for Zambiaโ€™s tourism product.

She said the logo โ€˜Zambia the Real Africaโ€™ has been in use for 31 years, and it is time to refresh, review or repeat it with a more appropriate name.

โ€œI am, therefore, proud to invite not just the Zambian people, but the rest of the world as well, to help give our product a new logo and slogan. It is projected that the tourism sector will create 45,000 jobs by the year 2015,โ€ Ms Namugala said.

She said this will also earn the tourism sector US$550 million from the current US$200 million in international arrivals, and will be over four and eight percent contribution to Zambiaโ€™s gross domestic product.

Ms Namugala said there is need to reposition Zambia as a tourist destination of choice through the rebranding of the tourism product.

She said it is for this reason Government has continued to show commitment by improving access to tourist sites and building a strong partnership with the private sector.

At the same function, World Bank country manager Kapil Kapoor said the competition is an innovative way of trying to attract the best ideas from all over the world.

โ€œIt is a concept known as โ€˜crowd-sourcingโ€™, and it has grown rapidly in recent years with the advent of internet technology, and is being used by individuals, institutions and countries alike to source the best ideas from all over the world,โ€ he said.

Mr Kapoor commended the Zambia Tourism Board, the Tourism Council of Zambia and Government for the innovative approach.

He said most tourist destinations all over the world have found that it is critically important to develop a brand name.

And Zambia Tourism Board chairman Timothy Mushibwe said the benefits of tourism are important and significant in the context of the economy.

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