The Zambian government official on Tuesday urged all African states to work together and address the problem of air connectivity which is impeding the tourism industry on the continent.

Speaking at a gathering to mark the World Tourism Day, which falls on Sept. 27 every year since its outset in 1979, Deputy Minister of Tourism Nedson Nzowa said one of the major challenges in Africa in general and Zambia in particular was poor air connectivity, which has resulted in passengers within the region to fly via Europe in order to reach their intended destinations within Africa.

"There is need for collaboration among African states to increase connectivity for the benefit of the continent's tourism,"Nzowa said.

"To resolve this, we are encouraging strategic alliances with major airliners in order to improve connectivity," he added.

Commenting on the theme of this year's World Tourism Day, Travel and Transport, Nzowa said transport has always been the lifeblood of tourism industry.

He then noted that the Zambian government was working on policies to facilitate an enabling environment for the private sector to lead the investment in air transport.

"The government is encouraging private sector to drive the formation of a profit-driven, commercial national carrier," Nzowa said.

He said the main purpose of celebrating the World Tourism Day was to foster awareness among the international and local communities of the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic values.

Source: Xinhua