Over 20 travel professionals were invited to the embassy of Republic of Zambia. The event run in a very friendly atmosphere and exited the participants. Many of them stated that Zambia as a travel destination had been an unknown to them and welcomed the promotional activities of Zambia. Detailed presentation and examination of Zambian cuisine impressed travel professionals, which stated the interest to Zambia for the Russian travel market.
Zambia (the official name of the country is the Republic of Zambia) is located in South Africa. It is a landlocked country with a tropical climate with the population of about 19.61 million people. The capital of Zambia is the city of Lusaka.
Tourism in Zambia is a developing industry in which the Government of the country sees great potential and considers it as an instrument of economic development, as tourism generates income, creates jobs, promotes wildlife conservation and improves living standards. Tourism is handled by the Ministry of Tourism.
Although Zambia does not have direct access to the sea, it is admired by the tourists for its diverse natural landscapes and abundance of wildlife. This country is famous for dozens of national parks and reserves where the travelers can find unique plants, rare animals and exotic birds. The savannahs of Zambia are home for antelopes, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, lions and leopards. Zambia has 19 national parks and 3 nature reserves, and a total of 626 protected natural areas, which cover more than a third of the country's total area. The largest and oldest national park in Zambia, Kafue, covers an area of about 22,400 km² and exceeds the territory of Slovenia. That is why the main type of tourism in Zambia is аdventure tourism, offering rafting on the rapids of the Zambezi River on rafts and kayaks, paragliding or helicopter flights, elephant safaris, rock climbing, fishing and diving on Lakes Kariba and Tanganyika, trips to national parks by jeep.
And, of course, one of the main tourist spots in the country is Victoria Falls, the largest waterfall in Africa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located on the Zambezi River, on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Zambia's main international airport is in Lusaka, although some international airlines also land at Livingston, Mfuwe and Ndola airports.
To visit Zambia, Russian tourists must obtain a visa (although Zambia is considering the possibility of introducing a visa-free regime for Russian citizens). At the same time, starting from November 1, 2022, visa requirements have been lifted for tourists with passports from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, the United States and Denmark.
There is no official certification of hotels in the country, all stars are awarded personally by hoteliers or tour operators. There are 4 - 5* hotels only in Lusaka and Livingston, as well as in national parks. But outside of big cities or popular tourist areas, tourists don't have much to choose from, so prices per night can increase significantly compared to the capital.
Traditional Zambian cuisine revolves around one main product, corn, served in a single nsima form. Nshima is like thick oatmeal that has been rolled into balls and added to stewed meat (beef, chicken, fish). In addition, beans, tiny dried fish, peanuts, pumpkin leaves, and vegetables are added to the nshima.
Of course, Western cuisine can also be enjoyed in Zambia, especially in the main cities, Lusaka or Livingston, including fast food, pizza, chicken. Ethnic eateries are also popular, for example, in Lusaka.
Tours to Zambia are sold by such Russian tour operators as Star Tour, Oriental Discovery, Art Tour, Quinta Tour. You can travel to this country all year round. Throughout the year, the air temperature is almost unchanged and is +16 °C...+18°C in the "cold" period, and +25 °C...+27 °C in the "hot" period During this period, intense heat is observed only in the Zambezi and Luangwa valleys.
