Zambia Tourism

What Zambia Tourism does

Zambia Tourism Agency (ZTA) is a statutory government body under Zambia's Ministry of Tourism, established in 2015 through the Tourism and Hospitality Act No.13 of 2015 to market Zambia as a tourism destination and regulate the tourism industry. It operates two core platforms: the official destination portal zambia.travel (showcasing Victoria Falls, 20 national parks, 36 game management areas, adventure activities, cultural ceremonies, heritage sites, and accommodation listings) and the government e-services portal eservices.gov.zm (handling tourism licensing, accommodation grading, renewals, and KAZA visa applications). ZTA's mandate covers dual functions: destination marketing through international trade shows (ITB Berlin, Meetings Africa, OTM India, Magical Kenya, South Africa Roadshow, ZATEX), media partnerships (BBC, Expedia, Airtel), and domestic campaigns (Holiday Yamu Loko); and regulatory oversight of all tourism enterprises (accommodation, tour operators, travel agents, car rentals, activity operators) through mandatory licensing and grading.

ZTA's revenue mechanics are split between direct operating income (tourism licensing and grading fees, park and museum entry fees of USD 5 per international visitor at Mosi-oa-Tunya and other sites) and indirect economic value creation driven by visitor arrivals at licensed operators. It serves a broad stakeholder base: the Ministry of Tourism as policy principal, licensed operators (Bushtracks Africa, Absolute Zambia Safaris, Bundu Adventures, Shearwater, Mfuwe Trails, Protea by Marriott, EuropCar, etc.) as distribution partners, international and domestic tourists as end-users, and global source markets via Expedia and BBC media reach. The agency is led by an Acting CEO (Abigail Shansonga), a Board chaired by Keira Langford Johnson, and reports to the Ministry of Tourism. Its competitive position rests on irreplaceable natural assets (Victoria Falls, Kafue, South Luangwa), a statutory licensing monopoly, the KAZA Uni-Visa cross-border access mechanism, and an established licensed-operator distribution network across all major tourism regions (Livingstone, South Luangwa, Kafue, Lower Zambezi, Lusaka).

Name

Zambia Tourism

Legal name

Zambia Tourism Agency

Website

https://zambia.travel

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Zambia Tourism Agency is a government statutory body under Zambia's Ministry of Tourism that markets Zambia as a destination and regulates the tourism industry through licensing, grading, destination promotion, and the KAZA visa system across 20 national parks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

National Tourism Marketing and Destination Promotion

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (71399)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Permitting, Reservations & Visitor Information Services (Passes, Booking, Visitor Centers) (THAAAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

National Park & Protected Area Tours (THAJAIAA), Wildlife Sanctuaries & Rescue Centers (Visitor Operations) (THAAAFAA)

Keywords

• National tourism marketing
• Destination promotion services
• Tourism licensing regulation
• Wildlife safari tourism
• Adventure tourism operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Lusaka

HQ country

Zambia

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tourism Licensing and Grading Fees: The Zambia Tourism Agency regulates the tourism industry through mandatory licensing of all tourism enterprises (accommodation, tour operators, travel agents, car rental, activity operators) and grading of accommodation establishments. Fees are collected through the e-services portal for initial licensing, renewals, transfers, and variations. This is a core regulatory and revenue-generating function of ZTA.
2. Tourism Promotion and Marketing: ZTA generates demand for Zambia as a tourism destination through marketing campaigns, international trade show participation, media partnerships (BBC, Expedia), and domestic campaigns (Holiday Yamu Loko). Revenue impact is indirect — driving visitor arrivals that generate broader economic revenue through park fees, accommodation, and services.
3. Park and Activity Fees: National parks and game management areas (20 national parks) generate revenue through entry fees. Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park charges approximately ZMW 10 per person for locals and USD 5 per person for international visitors. Museums and heritage sites similarly charge entry fees, supporting local tourism revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Zambia Tourism Agency (ZTA) is the official government statutory body that markets Zambia as a tourism destination globally and regulates the tourism industry through mandatory licensing and grading of tourism establishments (accommodation, tour operators, travel agents, car rentals, activity operators). It promotes Zambia's wildlife safaris, adventure activities (bungee jumping, white water rafting), Victoria Falls, cultural ceremonies, heritage sites, and MICE facilities through the zambia.travel portal, international trade shows, media partnerships, and domestic campaigns like Holiday Yamu Loko.

Product overview

Zambia Tourism, operated by the Zambia Tourism Agency (ZTA), is a government statutory body established under the Tourism and Hospitality Act No.13 of 2015. The organization operates a multi-faceted tourism portfolio comprising a national tourism portal (zambia.travel), an e-services licensing platform, domestic promotion campaigns (Holiday Yamu Loko), and marketing partnerships with international media. The core offering encompasses adventure tourism (bungee jumping, white water rafting, kayaking, microlighting in Livingstone), wildlife safaris (game drives, walking safaris, canoeing across 20 national parks), cultural tourism (100+ traditional ceremonies, heritage sites), and MICE facilities. ZTA regulates the industry through licensing and grading of tourism enterprises including accommodations, tour operators, travel agents, car rentals, and activity operators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wildlife Safaris Wildlife viewing experiences including game drives, walking safaris (pioneered in Africa by Norman Carr), canoeing safaris, photographic safaris, birding, and river cruises across Zambia's national parks for international and domestic tourists.

Quantifiable outcome

• South Luangwa National Park recognized as an international sustainable park by UNWTO
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerZTA signed a tourism promotion campaign agreement with the BBC for global destination marketing. The partnership leverages BBC's international reach to promote Zambia as a premier tourism destination to global audiences through multimedia content and brand visibility campaigns.
• ExpediaflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerZTA signed a tourism promotion campaign agreement with Expedia, one of the world's largest online travel agencies. The partnership positions Zambia on Expedia's global booking platform, driving international visitor arrivals through enhanced digital visibility and travel package distribution.
• Airtel Networks ZambiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZambia Tourism Agency and Airtel Networks Zambia signed a landmark MoU for joint tourism promotion initiatives. The partnership leverages Airtel's extensive telecommunications network and customer base for digital marketing, promotional campaigns, and enhanced tourist connectivity across Zambia.
• Game Rangers InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGame Rangers International partnered with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife to establish the Wildlife Discovery Centre at Lusaka National Park (opened 8 August 2022). The centre serves as the new home for elephants previously cared for at the Lilayi Elephant Nursery, combining wildlife conservation with tourism education.
• KAZA (Kavango Zambezi) ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKAZA is a transnational natural resource initiative spanning five countries (Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Angola, Namibia) focused on conserving the Kavango Zambezi ecosystem. The KAZA Uni-Visa, available at designated ports in Zambia and Zimbabwe, enables tourists to visit multiple KAZA countries seamlessly, facilitating regional tourism integration.
• Department of Immigration (Republic of Zambia)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe Department of Immigration partners with ZTA to process e-visa applications through the eservices.gov.zm portal. The partnership enables seamless online visa processing for international visitors, improving arrival experiences and supporting tourism growth.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Uganda Tourism Board: Uganda's statutory tourism board promoting gorilla trekking, the Nile and national parks. Comparable regional DMO with similar wildlife/cultural portfolio and shared trade-show presence in Africa and Europe.
• Zimbabwe Tourism Authority: Zimbabwe's national tourism authority, also abbreviated ZTA, co-marketing Victoria Falls under the KAZA Uni-Visa. Direct peer and joint partner on the cross-border visa mechanism that is core to ZTA Zambia's distribution strategy.
• Namibia Tourism Board: Namibia's national tourism board marketing Etosha, Sossusvlei and Skeleton Coast. Comparable Southern Africa DMO with similar wildlife/adventure positioning and shared source markets.
• Kenya Tourism Board: Kenya's statutory DMO marketing safaris, beaches and culture. Comparable in wildlife-product positioning, source-market focus (Europe, US), and MICE trade-show participation (ZTA attends Magical Kenya).
• South African Tourism: South Africa's national tourism board, operating a comparable destination-marketing, grading and stakeholder-development mandate across a similar Southern Africa competitive set. Directly comparable in function, regulatory role, and trade-show presence.
• Tanzania Tourist Board: Tanzania's national tourism board marketing Serengeti, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar. Comparable in safari-led destination marketing, regulatory/licensing function, and overlapping source markets in Europe and North America.
• Botswana Tourism Organisation: Botswana's DMO promoting the Okavango Delta, Chobe and KAZA region. Directly comparable as a KAZA partner on the Uni-Visa mechanism and as a competing high-end safari destination.

Broad incumbents

• Visit Dubai (Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing): Dubai's government tourism body running large-scale global destination marketing with strong digital and event-driven GTM. Useful comparable for how a state-backed DMO scales brand campaigns and trade partnerships at high intensity.
• Tourism Authority of Thailand: Thailand's national tourism authority operating at significantly larger scale across multiple destination clusters. Useful peer for benchmarking DMO operating model, campaign mechanics, and source-market diversification strategy.

Emerging players

• Rwanda Development Board (Tourism Division): Rwanda's tourism and conservation arm, gorilla-trekking-led and rapidly scaling international arrivals. Comparable DMO-plus-regulator hybrid with high-growth narrative relevant to Zambia's gorilla-tracking extension opportunities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@zambiatourismagency9734
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zambiatourismagency

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zambia Tourism