Conservation Commission eyes tourism boost through heritage partnerships

The National Heritage Conservation Commission has reaffirmed its commitment to forging strategic partnerships that promote Zambia’s natural and cultural heritage while ensuring sustainable conservation for future generations.

NHCC Executive Director, Kagosi Mwamulowe, said this during separate courtesy calls from representatives of the Chasing Waterfalls Africa initiative and the Miss Heritage Global pageant.

Mwamulowe said the Commission remained open to collaborations that helped unlock the tourism and heritage potential of Zambia’s vast heritage resources.

He stressed that heritage promotion must go hand in hand with conservation, community participation and economic empowerment.

“Zambia is endowed with exceptional natural and cultural heritage resources that deserve greater visibility both locally and internationally. We welcome partnerships that help tell Zambia’s story, increase visitor appreciation of our heritage, and create tangible benefits for communities while safeguarding these resources for future generations,” Mwamulowe said.

The Executive Director noted that Zambia boasted some of Africa’s most remarkable natural attractions, including the iconic Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls, the only Natural Wonder of the World on the African continent, and Kalambo Falls, the continent’s second-highest waterfall.

He further stated that the country had more than 200 documented waterfalls whose tourism potential remained largely untapped.

Mwamulowe also highlighted the importance of Pan-African partnerships in advancing tourism and heritage preservation, noting that such collaborations reflected the vision of African unity championed by Zambia’s founding President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda and Ghana’s Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

“There can be no tourism without discovery, documentation and preservation. We want to help tell the stories behind these waterfalls and support efforts that raise awareness on conservation challenges affecting water bodies across Africa,” Gina Arthur, Ghanaian Project Lead for Chasing Waterfalls Africa, said.

Miss Heritage Global Co-Director Mudzithe Phiri formally expressed interest in partnering with NHCC to host the prestigious international pageant in Zambia.

The meetings concluded with both delegations expressing optimism about future collaboration with NHCC, with discussions expected to continue toward formalising partnerships that will promote Zambia’s waterfalls, cultural heritage and tourism offerings to regional and global audiences.

WARNING! All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express permission from ZAMBIA MONITOR.