Cultural heritage is unique and irreplaceable, and the current generation holds the responsibility of preserving it for future generations’ benefit. Heritage, however, is not only the traces of past society and past times, but includes also the evidence of the present ones, which has to be passed down to our progeny, too.
“My Culture, my Heritage, my Pride, my Future”
Zambia is endowed with extremely rich cultural and natural heritage of both movable and immovable nature. Unfortunately, most sites are menacingly endangered but important in many ways especially for the tourism sector that contributes to economic development. However, only 15% of the country’s land area has been surveyed for cultural and heritage sites due to lack of funds, therefore the conditions of most of the sites in not known. The country has the greatest ethnic diversity of all the countries in the SADC region, providing a large variety for different examples of ethno‐tourism. Ethno-tourism sector has intrinsic importance beyond its ability to generate income and provide employment. Culture and cultural heritage are crucial to people’s identity, self-respect and dignity.
However, not all community areas in Zambia have access to a natural resource base such as wildlife, scenic nature, water bodies. These offer the potential to generate large amounts of money and employment opportunities for the general community at large. Unfortunately communities without access to such natural resources suffer from abject poverty due to resource base exclusion. Where there is no wildlife, local communities should venture into a cultural tourism suitable to their surroundings. Cultural activities that such marginalized communities can venture into range from traditional indigenous games, traditional dance, and traditional food blended with nature viewing tourism emanating from other areas.
The ethno-tourism sector makes the following important contributions on various levels to the countries and local communities, including: employment generation; income generation; strengthening of cultural values; bridging cultural and national boundaries; promoting micro, small and medium enterprise development; growth of ancillary industries; capacity building; community development; and empowerment of local and indigenous communities.
The main features can be highlighted as follows:
- Ethno-tourism shows a continuum of economic scale of operation from noncommercial through small-scale with donor assistance and small-scale commercial to large-scale commercial ethno-tourism.
- The above mentioned continuum is paralleled by a continuum of authenticity, with small-scale commercial ventures revolving around genuine functioning villages and the largest enterprises tending to be spectacular reconstructions and portrayals of traditional ethnic features.
- Most aspects of the industry tend to be controlled by the tour operators.
- Domestic and regional tourists constitute an insignificant proportion of the consumers of the ethno-tourism product. Most consumers of single-day products are more affluent international tourists older than 35 years. Younger, less affluent tourists are more likely to participate in home-stays in a traditional village or community.
- Consumers are targeted via international travel agents, international
We offer unique cultural tourism in Zambia. For inquiries, email Email: lochinvarsafarilodge@gmail.com Cell phone/WhatsApp: +26 0955361449