Negotiations underway to create Livingstone hub

Kevin Mayhew THE ZAMBIA National Tourist Board is negotiating with a major British charter operator to promote Zambia – and more specifically the southern town of Livingstone - as a tourism hub with strong regional air links into the subcontinent that will impact on airfreight capacity. The chairman of the Board, Errol Hickey, said the drive was part of the country’s “Visit Zambia Campaign” which aims to utilise the Victoria Falls – one of the ten best tourist destinations in the world – as a drawcard to make Zambia a first choice destination in Africa before moving on to other centres. It is also key to the government’s long term plans to ease the economy’s reliance on the diminishing mining assets by replacing it with a vibrant agriculture and tourism base, according to Hickey.