Tourism

ZAMBIA TOURISM SECTOR KEY FIGURES 2025, GDP, GROWTH, ARRIVALS

Accommodation and food service activities, the closest GDP proxy for Zambia’s tourism sector, grew 15.5% in real terms in 2025, as international arrivals reached 1.2 million by June, already ahead of the Ministry of Tourism’s own year-to-date target and putting the country on track for its 2.4 million annual goal.

The Ministry credits the momentum to international marketing campaigns, visa waivers and improved tourism infrastructure, while domestic visits to museums, heritage sites and national parks lagged their own mid-year target over the same period.

Sector Size

Accommodation and food service activities, the national accounts category that most closely tracks tourism, contributed 0.95% of Zambia’s nominal GDP in 2025, or ZMW 6.89 billion of the ZMW 725.6 billion total^[1]. The sector grew 15.5% in real terms over the year, among the fastest-growing in the economy, even as its nominal value declined slightly from ZMW 7.27 billion in 2024, a sign of easing prices within the sector rather than falling activity^[1].

International Arrivals

International arrivals to Zambia reached 2,199,820 in 2024, a 35.3% increase on 2023, the Ministry of Tourism reported in February 2025, alongside K319.5 million in non-tax revenue, 59% above the projected K200.9 million^[4]. The momentum continued into 2025: as of June, international arrivals stood at 1.2 million, exceeding the Ministry’s year-to-date target of 1.1 million and putting the country on track to reach its annual target of 2.4 million for the year^[2]. The Ministry attributed the performance to positive momentum from international marketing campaigns, targeted government interventions such as visa waivers, and improved tourism infrastructure^[2]. Hotel occupancy in Livingstone reached 70%, up from 40% before 2023, and the average length of stay rose to 5 days from 3 days before 2024^[6].

Domestic Tourism

Domestic visits to museums, heritage sites and national parks reached 530,110 in 2024, a 9% increase on 2023^[4], and the Ministry relaunched its “Take Holiday Yamu Loko” domestic tourism campaign with 51 tourism operators signing up^[4]. As of June 2025, domestic visits stood at 241,510 against a mid-year target of 318,066^[2]. The Ministry noted that further validation of data from traditional ceremonies and holiday activities in tourism-rich areas including Livingstone, Siavonga and the Northern Circuit was still underway and expected to raise that figure^[2].

National Parks

Zambia’s tourism product is anchored by 20 national parks managed by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, four of which draw the large majority of visitor interest^[3].

South Luangwa National Park

South Luangwa National Park, covering 9,050 square kilometres, is Zambia’s most preferred tourist destination, credited as the birthplace of the walking safari and home to large elephant and buffalo herds, the endemic Cookson’s wildebeest and Thornicroft giraffe, and the highest concentration of hippos and crocodiles in the country along the Luangwa River^[3].

Kafue National Park

Kafue National Park, at 22,400 square kilometres, is Zambia’s oldest and largest national park and the largest in Southern Africa, home to 158 mammal species and 481 bird species, though it sees fewer visitors relative to its size than South Luangwa^[3].

Lower Zambezi National Park

Lower Zambezi National Park, at 4,092 square kilometres in Lusaka Province, sits along the Zambezi River opposite Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools National Park and is believed to have the highest density of impala per square kilometre anywhere in the world^[3].

North Luangwa National Park

North Luangwa National Park, at 4,636 square kilometres, is the only national park in Zambia where all of the traditional “big five” species, elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard, are still found, including a small black rhino population, though it remains one of the country’s least-visited and least-developed parks^[3].

Conservation and Infrastructure

The Ministry launched the National Community-Based Natural Resources Management Policy 2023-2027 in 2024 as part of efforts to ensure sustainable tourism, and restocked three national parks with wildlife including Kafue lechwe, lions, impalas and white rhinos^[4]. Wildlife protection was reinforced with six motor vehicles procured for rapid response to human-wildlife conflicts and the training of 80 Wildlife Police Officers and 75 Community Scouts^[4]. On infrastructure, the Ministry maintained 16 airstrips in national parks, initiated feasibility studies for upgrades at the Jeki, Chunga and Kalabo airstrips, and graded and maintained 3,813 kilometres of tourism roads^[4]. Zambia also hosted the first-ever Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area Heads of State and Government Summit, attended by all five member states, funded 74 of 98 gazetted traditional ceremonies, with President Hakainde Hichilema personally attending 30, and secured UNESCO Representative List inscription for the Mangwengwe Dance as intangible cultural heritage^[4].

Policy Framework

The Ministry of Tourism’s National Tourism Policy 2015 sets a vision to make Zambia “an exciting and growing destination that realizes its full potential and rewards tourists with unique, authentic and treasured experiences,” with a goal of ranking among the top five tourist destinations in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2030^[5]. Its general objective is to guide industry players toward sustainable development of tourism opportunities and extend tourism activity to previously neglected regions and communities, under guiding principles covering sustainable development, rural development, inter-agency coordination, conservation, ethical tourism, quality and value, community involvement and improved quality of life^[5]. The 2026 Budget allocates K1.54 billion to Tourism, part of the government’s Economic Affairs spending function^[6]. The Ministry has also begun integrating data from Mobile Network Organisations into its tourism data collection, a step toward more granular, real-time visitor tracking than traditional border-post counts alone can provide^[2].

Investment Opportunities

With international arrivals already ahead of target at the halfway point of 2025 and domestic tourism to national parks and heritage sites still running below target, the gap between the two points to where new capacity, in accommodation, in-country transport and domestic marketing, would find the most immediate demand^[2]. The sector’s real growth rate of 15.5%, well ahead of the broader economy, reinforces that the demand side is already moving faster than supply^[1]. Rising Livingstone hotel occupancy and longer average stays point to room for further accommodation capacity in established tourist hubs, while the airstrip upgrades under feasibility study at Jeki, Chunga and Kalabo point to where improved air connectivity could open newer circuits to visitors^[4].

Last Update: August 2026

References

1. Zambia Statistics Agency, Final Annual GDP release, sectoral data
2. Ministry of Tourism, Zambia’s Tourism Sector Shows Strong Growth as International Arrivals Surpass Mid-Year Target
3. Department of National Parks and Wildlife, National Parks
4. Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Tourism Announces a Record Breaking of Over 2 Million International Tourists’ Arrivals for 2024
5. Ministry of Tourism, National Tourism Policy 2015
6. Ministry of Finance and National Planning, 2026 Budget Speech