South Luangwa brings in K22.4 million
By Staff Reporter
South Luangwa National Park (SLNP) has raised over K22 million in revenue from the visitations of both local and international tourists, Eastern Province minister Makebi Zulu has announced.
And Zulu says people of Eastern Province are elated with declaration of South Luangwa National Park (SLNP) as a sustainable wildlife national park and that it should remain a natural wildlife sanctuary that is managed in a sustainable manner.
Speaking in Mfuwe to journalist at the weekend Zulu said the declaration was in line with the government policy and provincial vision of promoting tourism that is economically, culturally, socially and environmentally sustainable. He said this also maximized social-economic benefits through job creation and improvement of the local people’s livelihoods and cultural heritage.
He said that if the national park is sustainably managed, wildlife in the SLNP could provide continuous income and contribute considerably to the alleviation of poverty as well as safeguard the environment.
Zulu who is Malambo Member of Parliament further added that the national park is the currently earning the nation foreign exchange through attraction of huge number of both foreign and local tourists.
He said statistics from the National Parks and Wildlife departments in the province indicates that the park by September 2017 the revenue of K22.4Million from 27, 720 foreign tourists and 6, 744 local tourists was generated.
“Due to the ecological, social and economic value of the wildlife in the South Luangwa National Park, government will put a sound management measure of the wildlife species that sustains their populations and habitat over time and the same time taking into account the social-economic needs of the human population.” Zulu said.
