Earlier this year it was announced for Zambia to host AviaDev Africa 2027, taking place at the Lusaka International Convention Centre from 9–11 June. The event will bring together airlines, airports, tourism authorities and global aviation industry leaders to support route development and strengthen connectivity across Africa.
Alongside the announcement, Airlift Zambia is bringing together public and private sector stakeholders to address connectivity gaps, engage airlines and strengthen Zambia’s position as a business and tourism hub connected to Africa and the wider world. Recent airline developments include services from Qatar Airways, Uganda Airlines, Fastjet Zimbabwe and Eswatini Air, while Proflight Zambia has expanded its regional network with connections linking Lusaka and Livingstone with Windhoek and Gaborone.
For travellers, this growing connectivity makes 2027 an especially interesting year to discover Zambia. A trip built around AviaDev could easily become a 7-10 day adventure, combining the conference in Lusaka with Victoria Falls, walking safaris in South Luangwa, river adventures in Lower Zambezi and the vast wilderness of Kafue National Park.
To support the continued growth of tourism, Zambia’s 2026 National Budget has committed K1.5 billion (approximately £41 million) to the sector, with investment focused on areas including tourism infrastructure, wildlife conservation and destination marketing. A further K1.1 billion has been allocated for the development of provincial airports, aimed at enhancing air connectivity and positioning Zambia as a regional hub.
The country is targeting 2.5-3 million international arrivals in 2026, with a longer-term ambition to build a US$1 billion tourism industry by 2031. Against this backdrop, AviaDev 2027 offers a timely opportunity to showcase Zambia’s emergence as both an aviation and tourism hub.
As Zambia looks to attract more visitors from key international markets, including Germany, the UK, North America, South Africa, India, China and the Gulf states, the hosting of AviaDev provides an opportunity to put the country’s expanding air connectivity and distinctive tourism offering firmly on the global map.
For more information, visit www.aviadev.com / www.zambia.tourism.
