By Wongani Mkandawire
Nkhotakota, April 30, Mana: African Parks which manages Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, says it collected a total revenue of about K106 million last year from the tourism area.
This was disclosed on Tuesday during the park's 18th Joint Liaison Committee meeting held in Nkhotakota district council chamber, involving District Commissioners, Chiefs, and other stakeholders from Kasungu, Ntchisi, Nkhotakota, and Mzimba districts, which surround the reserve.
Park Manager, David Nangoma, said this is attributed to more local and international tourists that are visiting the reserve since additional animal species were translocated into the reserve.
“Traffic to the reserve increased since we added additional animals, and this has positively increased the turnout of tourists, both local and international,” said Nangoma.
Chairperson of the joint liaison committee, Inkosi Khonsolo of Mzimba District, said the meeting was crucial as it served as a platform for Africa Parks and the various stakeholders to report on progress made in the implementation of various initiatives, challenges faced, and possible solutions moving forward.
Meanwhile, Nkhotakota District Commissioner, Ben Matengeni Tohno, has commended African Parks for its continued commitment to wildlife conservation, saying thriving tourism activities in the reserve shall enable the council to move Nkhotakota from a Boma to a tourism city.
“We embrace African Parks and provide them with the necessary support so that they are successful in pushing the tourism agenda of the local authority, which we believe will help Nkhotakota District become a tourism city in the future,” added Tonho.
