. Kapata

By SARAH TEMBO –
TOURISM and Arts Minister Jean Kapata has said that involvement of communities in tourism has a potential of creating jobs.
Ms Kapata, however, noted with regret that there had been nothing significant among local communities relating to tourism in urban areas.
The minister said local communities should be associated with tourism activities and share equitably in the economic, social and cultural benefits they generated.
She said yesterday during the World Tourism Day held under the theme ‘Tourism and community development’ that the involvement of communities in tourism activities had the potential to create direct and indirect jobs.
“We in the Patriotic Front Government want these local communities to create direct and indirect jobs and contribute to economic activities through tourism,” Ms Kapata said.
The Government wanted to see increased involvement and participation of local communities both in urban and rural areas in community tourism and community-based tourism.
To achieve this, the ministry has been working with that of Local Government and Housing to facilitate the creation and development of local parks and open spaces.
“It is in these very communities that jobs, livelihoods and sustainable tourism can be developed. I, therefore, urge community members to work hard and create a viable local community tourism product that can attract both local and foreign tourists, this will help to supplement and give strength to the domestic tourism campaign that was recently launched,” Ms Kapata said.