Lilongwe – Zambia and Malawi have moved to deepen bilateral tourism ties after officials signed agreed minutes and reviewed implementation documents at the end of the inaugural Joint Tourism Technical Committee meeting in Lilongwe.
The three-day session, held from 4 to 6 August 2026, was convened to operationalise the 2018 Memorandum of Understanding on Tourism Cooperation between the two neighbours. Zambia’s delegation was led by Mrs Vivien Ndhlovu, Director of Human Resource and Administration in the Ministry of Tourism, who spoke on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, while Malawi was represented by Principal Secretary for Tourism, Ms Jeane Munyenyembe.
Officials from both countries said they reached consensus on priority areas that include joint destination marketing, tourism product development, promotion of cultural heritage, sustainable tourism development, capacity building and closer collaboration in wildlife conservation. 
“These outcomes provide a strong foundation for Zambia and Malawi to further strengthen tourism cooperation, unlock new opportunities for investment, increase tourist arrivals and create sustainable socio-economic benefits for the people of our two countries,” Mrs Ndhlovu said.
She called on all stakeholders to stay committed to implementing the agreed action points, noting that the true success of the committee would be measured by tangible results delivered through effective implementation. Mrs Ndhlovu thanked the Co-Chairs, members of the Joint Tourism Technical Committee and both Secretariats for their dedication, professionalism and collaborative spirit, which she said contributed to the successful outcome of the meeting. She announced that Zambia looks forward to hosting the next committee meeting as the two countries continue to strengthen their long-standing bilateral relations through tourism cooperation.
Ms Munyenyembe commended the longstanding cordial relations between Zambia and Malawi and acknowledged significant progress made under the 2018 MoU. She noted that continued participation in regional tourism initiatives, including the Zambia Travel Expo (ZATEX), the Malawi International Tourism Expo (MITE), the Malawi-Zambia Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) and various cultural exchange programmes, has greatly enhanced destination marketing, cross-border tourism and regional integration.
She described the committee as a strategic platform that will advance cooperation through joint destination marketing, collaborative tourism product development, exchange of best practices, promotion of cultural heritage and strengthened wildlife conservation initiatives. Ms Munyenyembe said the partnership reflects the shared vision of both governments to position tourism as a key driver of economic growth, job creation and regional integration. While acknowledging the successful outcomes of the meeting, she stressed that the real measure of success would lie in the effective implementation of the agreed resolutions.
She reaffirmed Malawi’s full commitment to supporting the implementation plan to ensure that both countries realise the mutual benefits of their strengthened tourism partnership.
