Zambia Launches ZATEX 2026 With Ambitious Three Million Visitor Target in Sight

The Zambia Travel Expo 2026 has been officially launched, positioning the country's flagship tourism trade event as a central platform in Zambia's drive to become a billion-dollar tourism economy within the next five years. Scheduled for 4 to 6 June 2026 at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka, ZATEX 2026 arrives at a pivotal moment for the southern African nation's tourism ambitions.

Operating under the theme "Building Authentic and Sustainable Tourism through Partnerships", this year's edition signals a deliberate focus on collaborative approaches to sector development. The Zambia Tourism Agency, the national body responsible for destination marketing, has structured the event to facilitate meaningful engagement between local operators and international buyers while strengthening Zambia's visibility across global travel markets.

The government has set ambitious targets that frame the significance of ZATEX 2026. Zambia aims to attract between 2.5 million and 3 million international tourist arrivals this year, with longer-term aspirations to build a one billion US dollar tourism industry by 2031. These goals represent a substantial scaling of the sector's contribution to national economic development, with tourism increasingly viewed as a key pillar for growth and employment creation.

To support these ambitions, the government has significantly increased investment in the sector. The tourism budget has risen to 1.5 billion Zambian Kwacha for 2026, with funds directed toward infrastructure development, wildlife management and destination marketing initiatives.  This financial commitment demonstrates political will to transform tourism from a secondary economic activity into a primary driver of national prosperity.

ZATEX 2026 itself reflects this growth trajectory. Organisers expect the event to host approximately 150 exhibitors, including 24 small and medium enterprises, alongside 40 international buyers. These figures represent notable increases from the 2025 edition, which brought together over 1,500 participants, more than 100 exhibitors and close to 30 hosted buyers from European and African source markets.

Since its establishment around 2015, ZATEX has evolved from a national showcase into a structured tourism marketplace that integrates exhibition displays, business-to-business engagements, hosted buyer programmes and knowledge-sharing sessions. This format enables direct interaction across the entire tourism value chain, supporting both inbound visitor growth and domestic travel promotion.

The 2026 theme emphasises partnership as the foundation for sustainable growth, recognising that individual operators and destinations cannot achieve meaningful scale without collaborative frameworks. This approach aligns with broader continental trends where cross-border cooperation, regional marketing initiatives and public-private partnerships increasingly shape competitive positioning.

Zambia's tourism appeal centres on iconic attractions including Victoria Falls, one of the world's most spectacular natural wonders, alongside diverse wildlife experiences in parks such as South Luangwa and Lower Zambezi. The country's relatively uncrowded safari destinations and authentic cultural experiences offer differentiation in an increasingly competitive regional market.

International engagement continues to expand, with recent cooperation agreements strengthening ties with emerging source markets. Diplomatic efforts with South Korea illustrate this diversification strategy, with ZATEX 2026 expected to serve as a platform for showcasing Zambian tourism products to Korean travel industry representatives.

For African tourism professionals, ZATEX 2026 presents opportunities to explore partnerships with Zambian operators, understand evolving product offerings and assess the country's readiness to handle increased visitor volumes. The expo's focus on sustainability, digital transformation and air connectivity reflects priorities that resonate across the continent as destinations balance growth ambitions with environmental and social responsibilities.

Participation opportunities remain open for sponsors, partners, exhibitors and delegates seeking to engage with both local and international markets. As Zambia positions itself for transformative tourism growth, the June gathering in Lusaka offers a timely window into one of southern Africa's most dynamic emerging destinations.