Livingstone Victoria Falls Update Zambia Story Zambia Adds Zest Awards About Zambia Accommodation Adventure Air Carriers ATA Chapter Bird Watching Contacts Cultural Events Did You Know? Elephant Safaris Hot Tours Hotel Pamodzi Lodges Leader Profiles Livingstone Lusaka Magic of Zambia Map of Zambia Mfuwe Lodge President's Profile School Project Ten Reasons USA Tour Victoria Falls Wildlife Safaris Zambezi River Zambian Airways

Zambia adds "Zest" to ATA's 28th Congress by Jerry W. Bird The Awards Dinner hosted by Tanzania Tourism Board's (TTB) was popular and well attended as usual. Its purpose is to salute the year's most outstanding travel tourism and media professionals involved in the promotion of Tanzania Tourism. Tom Verde, National Public Radio travel journalist won the Media Award. Coverage on the Selous won Boston Globe and Copely News Service and award. African Portfolio, whose Tanzania-only safaris represent 90% of its East Africa bookings won the Tour Operator Award. British Airways received the Airline Award. The final award, for Tour Operator Southern Circuit Luxury Travel category was presented to Absolute Adventure of Houston, Texas. Above photo: Tanzania Tourism Minister Meghji (center}, flanked by the award winners including Tom Verde (3rd from left).   The Republic of Cameroon, ATA 29th International Congress (at Douala) sponsored a prestigious Gala Awards Dinner in the grand ballroom of the Zambezi Sun Resort Hotel in Livingstone at Victoria Falls. A stalwart ATA supporter, Hon. Pierre Hele (left), Cameroon's genial Minister of Tourism, honored his counterpart from Guinea, Hon. Sylla Hadja Koumba Diakite (right) for Outstanding Service to the Association. Other awards were presented as follows: • Leadership within ATA- Hon. Zakia Hamdani Meghji, MP, Tanzania's Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, and ATA President. • Development of Responsible Tourism on the African Continent (sponsored by American Express) - Ms. A.O. Bode Thomas, EKO Meridien Hotel, Lagos, Nigeria. • Promotion of Responsible Tourism to the Continent- Patricia Brown, President, Kambi Travel, Largo, Maryland, USA. • Founders Award - Hagos Legesse, President, Legesse Travel and Tourism Consultants, New York, NY. • Special recognition went to Beryl Dorsett of The Africa Group, New York, and to Vancouver's Muguette Goufrani and Jerry W. Bird, Editors of Africa Travel Magazine. Comments " Since the 2OO1 Congress in Cape Town, for which SAA was the official carrier and instrumental in the conference's success, we continue to support ATA with special membership fares. We've been on ATA's board of directors for two years now . Its objective of promoting tourism to the entire African continent works in tandem with SAA'S mission to expand our gateways to provide direct service from North America to all of Africa.” Simon Newton-Smith, Vice President sales, South African Airways. “African Tourism Boards should take a page from Europe's book and promote inter- and intra continent excursions. Your clients can visit Paris, London, Brussels - - then, why not Tanzania, Ethiopia and Zambia? We're building a route and service based, sustainable airline to be part of it, representing a new era of Belgian aviation. " Philip Saunders, Commercial VP, SN Brussels Airline. SN Brussels Airlines now codeshares with American Airlines. Travel agents can book AA to Brussels for connecting SN Flights to Africa. "ATA member countries should take advantage of multi-country tourism opportunities, in saying, "Let's use our products - the wildlife, nature, safaris and lodges as cultural catalysts to increase arrivals." Beth Mugo, Assistant Tourism Minister, Republic of Kenya. Nairobi, Kenya will host ATA's 30th Jubilee Congress in 2OO5, which provided a celebratory touch to the Luncheon hosted by Kenya's Ministry of Tourism and Information. Hon. " Tourism is a key growth sector we admire and support. ATA'S ability to highlight country-specific attractions, particularly those of historically disadvantaged groups, as integral parts of regional tourism promotion. Helping discover these new products provides a unique international profile that other institutions cannot" Ndiphiwe Ntuli, International Tourism Services Director, Dept. of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT). The above statement was made during a Cultural Feast hosted by South Africa's Ministry of Environment & Tourism. "Zambia as a Prime Tourism Destination is still the best-kept secret; but now we must focus, identify clearly what and why we're the Real Africa. Consumer-driven, public and private sector promotional efforts require solid financing, and marketing plans include creation of a tourism development fund.” L.E. Kapulu, representing the Zambia National Tourist Board (ZNTB). "We at ATA, can take some credit for the work that we have done in educating our American-based travel industry partner members, so that they can in turn, be more knowledgeable and confident about selling Africa: first as a safe destination, even in time of global instability; second as a continent rich in history, culture, natural wonders and wildlife; third, as an affordable vacation experience enhanced by the strong US Dollar found in many African countries, while at the same time the world's true luxury destination. Africa is home to some of the world's most famous luxury hotels, resorts and tented bush camps." Hon. Zakia Hamdani Meghji, ATA President. "We need to heavily invest in this very competitive industry to improve our market share if tourism is our economy's growth area, it deserves priority in terms of resources allocation because it does not only consume but generates resources and wealth." Hon. Patrick Kalilfungwa, Zambia's Tourism Minister, . That's not All folks! There's More to Come Yes, there's more to our Congress Story. These items will all appear in this section soon. Please bookmark this page and come again.