Reliable statistics key to tourism growth, says Matamwandi
By Tony Nkhoma
THE Zambia Tourism Agency (ZTA) says access to reliable and timely statistical data on tourism is critical for the development and growth of the sector.
ZTA chief executive officer Matongo Matamwandi said over the past years, the tourism sector had been grappling with accurate statistical data to measure its significance and impact to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Matamwandi said tourism was one of the major contributors to employment adding that with accurate statistical data, the sector was poised to be the great contributor to the country’s socio-economic development.
He was speaking in Lusaka during the landmark signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the ZTA and Airtel Networks Zambia aimed at enhancing tourism planning and development using anonymized telecommunications data.
Under this initiative, Airtel Zambia PLC will supply aggregated and anonymized data on traffic movement in designated tourism areas while ensuring full compliance with data privacy regulations and maintaining strict confidentiality for subscribers.
“This strategic collaboration will provide critical insights into visitor movement trends, enabling data-driven decision-making to promote and develop Zambia’s tourism sector,’’ Matamwandi said.
He stated that by analyzing the data insights, ZTA would gain a clearer understanding of visitor trends, peak travel periods, and mobility patterns, ultimately leading to more effective tourism strategies and policies.
“With this partnership, ZTA will be able to better track attendance at various events, including traditional ceremonies, sports games, festivals, and meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) events,” Matamwandi said.
He expressed happiness with the timely collaboration with Airtel Zambia PLC adding that tourism sector performance was typically measured through international tourist arrivals, domestic tourist visits, tourism receipts, hotel occupancy rates, length of stay and tourist spending.
‘‘This partnership with Airtel Zambia PLC will enable ZTA to access domestic tourism data through mobile phone analytics, supplementing existing data sources from heritage sites, museums, and national parks, which do not provide a comprehensive picture of domestic tourism activities.” Matamwandi said.
Airtel Zambia managing director Hussam Baday, underscored the company’s commitment to using technology to support domestic tourism while maintaining the highest standards of data privacy and security.
Baday said the private sector partnership with ZTA represented a significant step forward in harnessing data for tourism development and marked the beginning of a data-driven approach to understanding and enhancing Zambia’s domestic tourism landscape.
“By leveraging the power of data analytics, we can collectively boost domestic tourism, enhance visitor experiences, and contribute to economic growth. Our goal is to support ZTA in making informed decisions that attract more travelers, optimize tourism infrastructure, and promote local businesses across the country while fully adhering to data protection regulations.”
He said Airtel remained committed to working with ZTA in fostering innovation and sustainable growth in the tourism sector.
