Zambia has won hosting rights for AviaDev Africa 2027, the route development forum that brings airlines, airports and tourism boards together to plan new flight connections across the continent. The event runs 9–11 June at the Lusaka International Convention Centre, and it lands at an interesting moment for the country.
Behind the scenes, an initiative called Airlift Zambia is pulling together government and private sector players to chase new routes and close connectivity gaps. There is already momentum: Qatar Airways, Uganda Airlines, Fastjet Zimbabwe and Eswatini Air have all added services recently, while homegrown carrier Proflight Zambia has stretched its regional map with links from Lusaka and Livingstone to Windhoek in Namibia and Gaborone in Botswana.
The money backs the ambition. Zambia's 2026 National Budget sets aside K1.5 billion — roughly £41 million — for tourism, spread across infrastructure, wildlife conservation and destination marketing. Another K1.1 billion goes to upgrading provincial airports, which should make it easier to reach the remoter parks without long overland hauls. The official targets are eye-catching: 2.5–3 million international arrivals in 2026, and a US$1 billion tourism industry by 2031, with Germany, the UK, North America, South Africa, India, China and the Gulf states flagged as priority markets.
For anyone already eyeing a Zambia trip, the practical upside is simple: more routes and better airports mean fewer contorted itineraries. If you happen to be around for AviaDev in June 2027, the conference doubles as a convenient anchor for a 7–10 day adventure. Pair a few days in Lusaka with the obvious big-hitter, Victoria Falls at Livingstone, then add a walking safari in South Luangwa, canoeing or boating in the Lower Zambezi, or the vast, under-visited wilderness of Kafue National Park. Zambia is one of the few places where walking safaris are the signature experience rather than a novelty, and the country consistently flies under the radar compared with neighbours like Botswana and Tanzania — partly because it has historically been harder to reach. That is exactly what these investments are meant to fix.
Even if you are not an aviation delegate, keep an eye on the route announcements that tend to follow events like this. New or expanded services into Lusaka and Livingstone usually mean better fares and one-stop access from Europe and the Gulf, and the provincial airport programme could eventually put Kafue and the Luangwa valley within a short hop of the capital. For travellers who like a destination before the crowds catch on, Zambia in the next couple of years is worth watching closely.
