Tourism and Arts Minister Jean Kapata says Zambia is ready for investment in the hotel industry. The Minister was speaking this afternoon at the Africa Hotel Investment Forum being held at the Sheraton Hotel in Addis Ababa-Ethiopia this afternoon. The Minister said the Zambian Government had created various fiscal and non-fiscal incentives as well as exemptions and concessions for investors in the tourism industry which included zero percent tax on dividends, profits, and import duty for the first 5years, differed VAT on machinery and equipment , zero rate of VAT on tour packages throughout Zambia, among others. The Minister also told the forum that the Government had embarked on a massive road rehabilitation programme that will facilitate easy access to remote tourism sites spread across the country. Meanwhile Zambia will lobby to host the 2015 edition of the Africa Hotel Investment Forum. The Minister said her delegation will work hard to convince the selecting panel to bring the high profile annual event to Zambia as this will give potential investors a chance to get first hand appreciation of the tourism endowment and investment potential of the country. The Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF) is Africa’s leading event for hotel and tourism investment and this years’ occasion has brought together over 450 delegates and 80 industry leaders who are sharing their knowledge and insights on how to capitalize on Africa’s expanding markets and growth potential. The 2014 Africa Hotel Investment Forum was officially opened this afternoon by Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Haile Mariam Desalagen. Zambia’s Tourism Minister and her counterpart Ethiopia’s Tourism Minister Amin Abdul Kadir shared a platform to discuss the two countries’ long term plans and regional tourism strategies. The key investment opportunities that Zambia is promoting at the forum include hospitality, eco-tourism, adventure activities, community based tourism, theme parks and shopping malls, conference and events, movie tourism and cultural centers with the priority sites being Greater Livingstone, Kafue National Park, South Luangwa National Park, Northern Circuit, Lower Zambezi National Park and Lusaka. The Zambian delegation to this year’s Hotel Investment Forum is a multi-sectoral one with representation from the Zambia Tourism Board (ZTB), Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA), the National Heritage Conservation Commission (NHCC), the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA), the Hotel and Tourism Training institute (HTTI) and the National Pensions Scheme Authority (NAPSA). The lead Ministry at the Forum is the Ministry of Tourism and Arts. By Caristo Chitamfya in Addis Ababa.
Posted on: Wed, 01 Oct 2014 22:35:43 +0000
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