Zambia, Spain sign tourism cooperation deal

LUSAKA, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Zambia on Thursday signed a Tourism Memorandum of Understanding with Spain aimed at boosting cooperation in the tourism sector.

Minister of Tourism and Arts Charles Banda signed on behalf of the southern African nation while his counterpart Matilde Pastora Asian Gonzalez signed on behalf of her country on the sidelines of the ongoing International Trade Fair for Tourism in Madrid, according to a statement released by the Zambia embassy in Spain.

According to the statement, the agreement was aimed at further cooperation in the areas of wildlife management and combating illegal wildlife hunting, development of meetings, conferences and events, development of sports tourism , cultural and arts and joint tourism marketing.

The Zambian minister expressed gratitude over the warm and cordial bilateral relations the two countries have enjoyed over the years.

He further said Zambia has prioritized the tourism sector as one of the top sectors to spur economic development.

On her part, the Spain minister said her country was keen to share with Zambia its experiences in tourism development.