Mansa – Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema says more must be done to market the tourism attractions in Luapula Province, calling on investors to take advantage of what he described as a now-attractive investment environment across the country.
Hichilema was speaking on Friday when he officially opened the 2026 Luapula Investment Expo at Kaole Stadium in Mansa, Zambia, where he began by touring various exhibitor stands before addressing attendees.
The expo ran under the theme “Unlocking Luapula’s Potential Investment Opportunities for Sustainable Economic Growth.” 
“The tourism potential in Luapula Province is huge. The white sands in Samfya, we must do more to market the tourism endowments here. There is no reason why we can’t attract investments because the country overall has now an attractive investment environment. That extends to this province,” Hichilema said.
He pushed back against any perception of the province as a neglected region. “The country is on the move. Luapula Province is integral to this country. No one should see Luapula as a Cinderella province. Not at all. Luapula is on the move,” he said.
The president told those gathered that the expo was not simply an occasion for speeches. “This 2026 Luapula Investment Expo is an economic platform for us to compare notes and see the things we have been talking about, the potential of Luapula Province. We should not continue singing the song of potential,” he said.
Water resources featured prominently in his address, with Hichilema urging that the province’s abundant water bodies be turned into economic assets. “With our policy of provincial economies, we can see this province contribute to the growth of the economy overall. We want this province to produce more fish, not by natural extraction which has been done for years, but to grow the fish. Luapula can feed the whole of Zambia and get to export fish from this province,” he said.
Luapula Province borders the Democratic Republic of Congo and is rich in lakes, waterfalls, wetlands and cultural heritage, positioning it as a prime destination for eco and venture tourism. The province also holds some of Zambia’s highest-grade manganese deposits, with investment opportunities spanning mining, aquaculture, livestock, timber, hospitality, health, education, water and road transport, and solar and hydro energy.
