American Chamber of Commerce in Zambia
The Chamber hosted its first ever sector meeting with the hospitality industry as a way to engage its members using a dialogue platform. Some of the concerns brought forward include; setting up a business in Zambia is expensive due to high tax rates and numerous regulations in the industry. Secondly, there is lack of coordination between the Government and the industry when it comes to hosting international events. Thirdly, the hospitality industry has not been well marketed and there is lack of transparency regarding the tourism levy being paid. Lastly, the lack of tourist attractions in Lusaka has made it difficult for hotels to bid for conference hosting. These challenges and opportunities submitted by the members were later presented to the Minister of Tourism and Arts, Honorable Rodney Sikumba during a meeting with the AmCham Secretariat CEO and the Sector leader Mr. Kudzayi Nheweyembwa. The submissions were well heard by the Minister and positive response was given which was submitted back to the members.