Zambia is set to host the third edition of the Travel, Hospitality, and Tourism Education Summit, a key event dedicated to shaping the future of tourism education and workforce development in Africa. The summit, scheduled for April 7-9, 2025, will take place at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka. Organized by the Zambia Institute for Tourism & Hospitality Studies (ZITHS), this year’s summit is themed “Understanding the Knowledge and Skills Gaps in Africa’s Trade in Services Industry: Empowering Africa’s Tourism Workforce in the AfCFTA Era.”
The summit is designed to bring together educators, policymakers, and employers as equal partners in developing human capital for tourism and its subsectors. It builds on the foundational pillars of the Tourism Education Guidelines introduced by UN Tourism in 2022, which provide clear professional and educational pathways essential for building a sustainable tourism sector. This initiative aligns with Zambia’s broader efforts to transform its tourism industry and increase its contribution to the national GDP under the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP).
Tourism is a significant economic driver, with strong linkages to various sectors, including hospitality, transport, and retail. The industry is highly labor-intensive, making it a crucial source of employment, particularly for women and young people. The summit will serve as a platform for identifying and addressing skills gaps in the tourism workforce, thereby enhancing service delivery and competitiveness in the region.
Since its inception in 2023, the Travel, Hospitality & Tourism Education Summit has played a pivotal role in advancing tourism education in Zambia. The previous summits facilitated discussions on skills development, industry trends, and policy direction. One of the notable achievements has been the integration of Travel & Tourism as a subject pathway in the Zambia Education Curriculum Framework (ZECF 2023-2033). This milestone underscores the summit’s influence in shaping the educational landscape to better align with industry needs.
The 2025 summit is expected to attract stakeholders from across the continent, including representatives from UN Tourism, academia, and industry practitioners. The collaboration between Zambia’s Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Education underscores the government’s commitment to advancing competency-based learning and fostering synergies between education and industry.
As Zambia prepares to host this important gathering, ZITHS extends an open invitation to sponsors, speakers, educators, and employers to participate in this transformative initiative. The summit presents a unique opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue, share best practices, and contribute to shaping the future of Africa’s tourism workforce.
