Upcoming Summit
Dates: The third edition of the summit is scheduled for April 14th-16th, 2026.
Location: The event will be held at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre, New KK Wing, Lusaka, Zambia.
Theme: The theme for the 2026 summit is “Education as a Catalyst for Tourism Transformation: Promoting Indigenous Knowledge and Vocational Training in African Tourism”.
Expected Participants: The Travel, Hospitality and Tourism Education Summit 2026 is expected to attract a diverse and high-level group of participants, including:
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Government & Policy Makers
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Industry Stakeholders
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Education & Training Institutions
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Regulatory & Quality Assurance Bodies
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Regional & International Institutions
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Development & Cooperating Partners
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Private Sector & Social Partners
This broad participation ensures multi-sector collaboration, practical dialogue, and impactful outcomes for tourism education and skills development.
Objectives
The Education Summit 2026 aims to:
- Position education and skills development as a strategic driver of tourism transformation and economic diversification, supporting job creation, productivity, and inclusive growth.
- Strengthen industry–education integration to ensure curricula, assessment, and training outcomes are aligned to current and future labour market needs across the tourism value chain.
- Advance a one government approach to tourism human capital development, strengthening coordination among education, labour, trade, tourism, and conservation portfolios.
- Build educator and institutional capacity to deliver relevant, future-oriented Travel and Tourism education from school level through TEVET and higher education.
- Promote sustainable, conservation-led, and culturally grounded tourism skills, including the integration of indigenous knowledge systems and vocational excellence.
- Consolidate Zambia’s regional leadership role in tourism education and skills development, leveraging partnerships with UN Tourism, regional bodies, and development partners.
Expected Outcomes
The summit anticipates the following outcomes:
- Policy and technical recommendations on tourism education and skills development
- Strengthened industry–education partnerships
- Enhanced capacity of teachers and educators
- Inputs into a coordinated national tourism education and skills strategy
- Reduced duplication and improved donor coordination
- Strengthened positioning of ZITHS as a regional centre of excellence
Join the Summit
The Travel, Hospitality and Tourism Education Summit is a recurring event organized by the Zambia Institute for Tourism and Hospitality Studies (ZITHS).
