Destination Livingstone

DestinationLIVINGSTONE

[WRITER: Rosie Mercer, Lute Maekaeka Kazembe ] [ PHOTO: Tony Barnett, Livingstone Film Makers ]

Destination Livingstone was established in 2020 to make Livingstone a more attractive and competitive tourist destination. Our goal is to increase the long-term social and economic benefits that tourism can bring to the people, businesses and the local economy of Livingstone. We aim to see that Livingstone continues to become a better place for people to live, work and visit. Our approach is innovative in that private, public and community sectors are all represented on the DL Board and Working Groups which is a new business model in the City. We have many projects under way and provide a little taster in the two examples below.

What sets us apart from many other destinations is our history which can be evidenced very clearly in our city centre buildings. We are working with the National Heritage Conservation Commission to monitor and assess those buildings which are already under protection orders. With the City Council we will seek to encourage locals to preserve other significant buildings and create an historical quarter in the city. We plan on putting up information boards at key buildings in the city centre to improve knowledge and awareness of their history and enhance the walks around Livingstone. Cities for Infrastructure and Growth (CIGZambia), a UKAID funding programme is working with us to enhance the historic core of our city.

Livingstone shares the wonderful Victoria Falls with Zimbabwe with joint responsibility to protect, preserve and promote this World Heritage site. To do it justice we have started planning a new Visitor’s Information Centre at the Falls site. This will engage our visitors in better understanding of the geological formation of the gorges and the Falls, the flora and fauna in the area, the human history including local tribe dispersion, as well as the key people who brought the Falls to worldwide attention. This project requires advice and support in order to produce the best of modern design for a new facility, assistance in storytelling and how to deliver through digital means, improved methods of monitoring visitors, and data collection improvements for future planning of the site. CBI Netherlands is supporting us in this work.

Less than one year on from our inception, there is plenty of energy and excitement in our small team and we thank Prospero Zambia Limited for their financial support.

FOREST OF FACES

Livingstone is full of stories. There is rich local knowledge, ancient legends and traditions, colonial and industrial history and personal stories that bring it all to life. Livingstone is also home to a large number of artists and we celebrate the talent of our people. together - the stories and the artists - and the Forest of Faces is our new and truly amazing public art installation.

21 local artists have produced spectacular 3-4 metre high tree sculptures to resemble our very own forest in the centre of the city. They tell the stories of the Mukuni tribe and the ILA people; give us food for thought in the Great Wise Thinker and the Brave Man; showcase our wildlife in the Big 5 and the Giraffe and sadden us with George the Baboon. Development of the premier location in Livingstone – our Civic Centre - into a confident tourism attraction thereby creating a visitor hub, is a huge opportunity for our local people to be innovative and use their entrepreneurship to get fully involved and benefit directly from tourism.

We are proud of who we are and confident that we can capture the passion and enthusiasm of our people to share the heart and soul of Livingstone. By doing so we provide exactly the immersive experiences our visitors are searching for.

International visitors love ‘local’; they want to ‘travel like a local’, meet local people, gain local knowledge, learn local skills, eat local food, understand local cultures, and most importantly for us, they want to see their money retained locally. This will be a place where people who are tucked away in river lodges, who never see town, will eagerly want visit to find out what’s happening!!

DOMESTIC TOURISM

“The best part is the people, very welcoming and always willing to assist!” This is a comment from a Zambian visitor to Livingstone echoing most domestic tourists. On the bucket list for most Zambians, a visit to Livingstone is a must. In 2018, there were 199,501 visitors to the Victoria Falls, 15% more than in 2017; two- thirds of the total came from Zambia. Livingstone Museum received 37,743 visits in 2018, 8% more than in 2017, and two-thirds of these visits were by Zambians. Information on the Zambian domestic market is inadequate, limiting the ability of tourism business operators in product development. A senior government official from the Ministry of Tourism and Arts noted the lack of information on the particular needs, challenges of the domestic tourist, and the many assumptions made about the consumer profile regarding preferred services, including accommodation facilities. Anecdotal reports, reviews from on-line travel agents, and comments on social media show that negative and often incorrect beliefs persist on cost of services and products such as activities, range of accommodation facilities and activities offered in Livingstone. One traveller commented, “I’m guessing its expensive, we might as well go out of the country”. Destination Livingstone commissioned a survey on the Zambian domestic travel market to examine trends, challenges, and opportunities. The survey being conducted in Lusaka, Copperbelt and North-Western provinces in Zambia, will inform tourism operators on consumer behaviour in the tourism centre of Livingstone, hardest hit by the loss of business because of Covid-19. Preliminary results of the survey are expected in April, and will be shared with tourist business operators, suppliers, and stakeholders. Destination Livingstone was funded by Prospero Zambia Limited to undertake this Domestic Tourism Assessment project - Stage 1 is the Market Research and Stage 2 is a social media marketing campaign to attract more home grown tourists into Livingstone. Watch out for social media action on facebook, instagram, twitter and on our website.

LOVE LIVINGSTONE

How a family of 4 can Love Livingstone?

“I hope you have rates for locals, your prices discourage Zambians to come through”. Says one of the local tourists.

So, can a domestic tourist afford to come to Livingstone and enjoy themselves?

The quick answer is an enthusiastic yes! Livingstone has accommodation facilities that range from guest houses, bed and breakfasts and lodges in and around the town centre with prices starting at K500 for two, and self-catering lodges along the Airport Road with prices starting at K1,000. There are upmarket lodges and hotels along the river, with special rates for Zambian citizens/residents starting at K2,000.

Though known for adventure activities like bungee jumping and rafting, Livingstone offers activities for the more relaxed traveller. Visitors can enjoy a leisurely boat cruise on the Zambezi River, an informative Tipunzile Tour experience in Mosi O Tunya National Park, or a visit to the Livingstone Museum all of which are moderately priced activities. The National Art Gallery has amazing art by renowned Zambians for the discerning art enthusiast. A visit to one of several spas is an experience not to miss; treatments begin at K150. High tea by the river is a special treat from the Royal Livingstone Hotel or a cocktail on their deck is an excellent way to end the day. Prices begin at K500 including snack and drinks for most activities.

Several restaurants offer traditional Zambian, Indian, Italian, Chinese and Western food, and prices begin at K25 at local takeaways, K60 for authentic Zambian food, and K120 for dinner at an international hotel chain.

There are several options to travel to Livingstone; a bus from Lusaka starts at K170, self-drive with a salon car may cost K900 for a full tank; and the standard fare for a Lusaka-Livingstone return airline ticket begins at K7,500 though special rates may be available.