Tour operators irk Zambia for marketing Victoria Falls as being in South Africa

LUSAKA, March 13 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government said on Wednesday that it would engage the South African government if some tour operators in that country continued to market the Victoria Falls as being in South Africa.

Howard Skiwela, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Arts, said the government will be left with no choice but to involve the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to engage South Africa on a government-to-government level over continued claims by some tour operators that the Victoria Falls was in South Africa.

The tourist attraction is situated on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The official told reporters during a press briefing that such incorrect marketing by some foreign tour operators has negatively affected tourist inflows into Zambia.

He has since directed the country's tourism marketing agency, the Zambia Tourism Board, to extensively start marketing the Victoria Falls in order to dismiss the wrong notion.

Meanwhile, Zambia has partnered with Ireland to include the Victoria Falls in the Global Greening Initiative for the first time on March 15 and 17 this year.

The Zambian government official said the initiative, which will see the Victoria Falls illuminated in green color, will go a long way in giving the Victoria Falls maximum exposure.