The development of the Northern Tourism Circuit has continued to receive lip service with more projects expected to strengthen the infrastructure and world class hotel service offering being either delayed or simply shelved.
For instance, the date of commencement of the construction of the Samfya hotel and resort expected to be financed by the workers compensation Fund Control Board – WCFCB is not yet set. This resort is expected to be a landmark and anchor development that would then support the development of side industries and smaller boutique hotels.
The Zambian Business Times – ZBT had received concerns that despite the hype and talk of developing the Northern Tourism Circuit, the construction of the Mosi-oa-tunya Livingstone resort based in the already more developed Southern Circuit has commenced while the Samfya beach resort is still on paper despite it having been on the cards for years.
When a check was done by ZBT, Workers’ Compensation Fund Control Board (WCFCB) Head of Communications and Customer Service Maybin Nkholomba confirmed in an exclusive interview that they are planning to build a hotel, shopping mall and international convention center but a market survey must first be done and concluded.
“At the moment, we have engaged a market consultant to do a market survey on what we are going to construct on the shores of Lake Bangweulu. We have tentatively planned to put up a hotel, a shopping mall and an International Convention Center”, he told ZBT.
In addition, he said that WCFCB is very impressed with the pace at which the project is moving and that the land was only given to them about two to three months ago.
“That project in fact is moving very fast, the land was given by the council 2/3 months ago, we first got interested to invest in Samfya after we attended the Luapula Expo. But we were looking for suitable parcel of land until we were given land some 2/3 months ago by Samfya township council and we have moved. We are receiving a lot of support from the provincial administration in Luapula and there is a committee in place that is expediting the development in Samfya”, he said.
Nkholomba further stated that the total cost for the whole project has not yet been ascertained because there is a consultant who is still doing a market survey. The estimation of the investment cost and development of the project will only be done after the market survey has been concluded.
“We cannot establish the cost now until the market survey has been done and the market survey will tell us exactly the kind of development to take there in terms of infrastructure, then we can be able to understand the actual cost. The market survey is done to understand the customer needs and what the region requires”, he said. He however stated that WCFCB is looking at delivering the project by next year.
Various stakeholders have indicated that the Northern Tourism Circuit development receives more lip service and nothing tangible is actually done on the ground. If you look at the expansion of the Mbala Airport, which was meant to house both military and civilian aircrafts, it has also been shelved, blocking the air transport option for high end tourist who are key customers for five star facilities.
In order to grow, diversify and jump start Zambia’s tourism offering, the development of the Northern Tourism Circuit has been on the cards for years. The current tourism master plan includes development of the Samfya waterfront and peninsula as well as the Kasaba bay and Tanganyika lake shore.
