Zambia has reaffirmed its commitment to aligning education with tourism development as part of a broader strategy to strengthen skills, create jobs, and promote sustainable economic growth. The initiative was highlighted during the Fourth Travel, Hospitality and Tourism Education Summit organized by the Zambia Institute for Tourism and Hospitality Studies, where leaders and partners emphasized the importance of curriculum reforms, skills development, and decent work in driving the tourism sector forward.
Minister of Education Douglas Syakalima, representing President Hakainde Hichilema, described the introduction of Travel and Tourism as a stand-alone subject as a major milestone. He noted that integrating the subject into the 2023 Education Curriculum Framework will equip secondary school students with practical skills for employment and entrepreneurship, while also promoting the country’s cultural heritage. He added that closer collaboration between the Ministries of Education and Tourism, particularly through ZITHS, is helping ensure that academic programmes meet industry demands.
Syakalima also announced plans to introduce Tourism Education Clubs in primary and secondary schools and called for enhanced teacher training to effectively deliver the new curriculum. He stressed that aligning education, industry, and policy is essential to ensuring that tourism growth leads to meaningful employment opportunities.
Minister of Tourism Rodney Sikumba highlighted that the tourism sector currently supports over 159,000 jobs and remains a key pillar of growth under the Eighth National Development Plan. He further announced the allocation of 160 hectares of land for the development of the ZITHS Mukuni International Academy, a project being implemented in partnership with UN Tourism, and acknowledged continued support from the European Union and other partners.
Elcia Grandcourt emphasized that tourism is a major driver of economic development across Africa and underlined the importance of expanding access to quality education to sustain sector growth. Meanwhile, the International Labour Organization, represented by Chief Technical Advisor Todini Marecha on behalf of Country Director Wellington Chibebe, stressed that skills development must lead to decent, productive, and sustainable jobs.
The European Union, represented by Claudio Bacigalupi on behalf of Karolina Stasiak, reiterated its commitment to supporting Zambia’s tourism sector through initiatives such as the EU-funded ILO Skills Development for Increased Employability Programme. The programme aims to enhance job readiness among youth and women and includes the National Apprenticeship Programme, which focuses on competence-based training to better meet labor market needs.
Through these collaborative efforts, Zambia is positioning its education system to better support tourism growth, strengthen workforce capacity, and expand employment opportunities, particularly for young people and women.
