Lusaka

Lusaka, Zambia, scores 62 on the CIRA Index of tourism resilience, #118 of 309 destinations. 27 of 29 measures come from public sources, with 74% confidence. Every grade below states its value, period and source.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: 62
• OECD: 59
• UN Tourism: 58
• UNDRR: 49

Strongest

• Extreme heat days: 2.8 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
• Short-let density: 0.1 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (metro figure) (AirDNA & Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats) 2022 Census of Population and Housing Preliminary Report, 2022–2026). At or below 0.5: grade 4/4.
• Flood hazard: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4.

Weakest

• Income per head: 4,379 GDP per capita, USD PPP (country figure) (World Bank WDI, 2025). Below 15,000: grade 0/4.
• Wastewater safely treated: 4 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (GFA Consulting Group / SuSanA, SFD Report Lusaka Zambia & Citywide SFD Case Story, 2018). Below 50: grade 0/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: No tourism crisis or recovery plan found (Ministry of Tourism Zambia / ResearchGate Analysis on Zambia Crisis Management, 2024). Grade 0/4.

Zambia in the World Economic Forum Travel & Tourism Development Index

Zambia is #96 of 110 countries (3.37 of 7) in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026, which scores countries, not cities. Cities in countries with that WEF score average 52 on the CIRA Index; Lusaka is 10 above that.

Every measure, by theme

Demand and seasonality: 71

• Nights in the three busiest months: 29 % of annual nights (country figure) (World Economic Forum, TTDI 2026 (data: UN Tourism by United Nations World Tourism Organization), 2023, 2024 moving average). At or below 30: grade 4/4. Source
• Domestic share of nights: 12.9 % of nights by residents of the same country (AirDNA, Lusaka, Lusaka Province Airbnb Data 2026: Occupancy, Revenue & STR Market Report, 2025–2026). Below 15: grade 0/4. Source
• Largest foreign market: 17.2 % of international arrivals or nights (AirDNA, Lusaka, Lusaka Province Airbnb Data 2026: Occupancy, Revenue & STR Market Report, 2025–2026). Between 15 and 20: grade 3/4. Source
• Recovery against 2019: 173.8 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (country figure) (Ministry of Tourism (Zambia) / Zambia Tourism Agency, 2024). At or above 110: grade 4/4. Source
• Average length of stay: 5 nights per visitor (country figure) (Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Zambia, H1 2025). At or above 3.5: grade 4/4. Source
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 55 % average annual occupancy (country figure) (Ministry of Tourism, Republic of Zambia, H1 2025). Between 55 and 65: grade 2/4. Source

Economy and jobs: 63

• Jobs in tourism industries: 3.3 % of employment in accommodation and food services (country figure) (World Economic Forum, TTDI 2026 (data: Travel & Tourism Economic Impact Research by World Travel & Tourism Council; Travel & Tourism by World Travel & Tourism Council), 2026). At or below 8: grade 4/4. Source
• Unemployment rate: 11.3 % of the labour force (region figure) (Zambia Statistics Agency, 2022 Census National Analytical Report, 2022). Between 8 and 12: grade 2/4. Source
• Income per head: 4,379 GDP per capita, USD PPP (country figure) (World Bank WDI, 2025). Below 15,000: grade 0/4. Source
• Economic diversity: 85.1 % of employment outside accommodation, food, retail and transport (country figure) (Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats) & Ministry of Labour and Social Security, 2023 Labour Force Survey (LFS) Report, 2023). At or above 80: grade 4/4. Source

Climate and hazards: 60

• Extreme heat days: 2.8 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). At or below 5: grade 4/4. Source
• Tropical nights: 40 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Between 30 and 60: grade 2/4. Source
• Flood hazard: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4. Source
• Wildfire and storm hazard: high (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 1/4. Source
• Country disaster risk: 5.8 INFORM Risk index, 0–10 (country figure) (INFORM Risk (European Commission JRC), INFORM Risk Mid 2026, 2026). Between 5 and 6.5: grade 1/4. Source

Water and environment: 56

• Water scarcity: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4. Source
• Wastewater safely treated: 4 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (GFA Consulting Group / SuSanA, SFD Report Lusaka Zambia & Citywide SFD Case Story, 2018). Below 50: grade 0/4. Source
• Municipal waste per resident: 182.5 kg per resident per year (UN-Habitat, Lusaka Waste Data / Lusaka City Council, 2018). At or below 350: grade 4/4. Source
• Green space: 18 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (UNECE, Trees in Cities Challenge, 2024). Between 10 and 20: grade 1/4. Source

Community and housing: 75

• Tourism intensity: not measured yet
• Cruise pressure: not measured yet
• Rent growth: 8 % change in rents over the last 12 months (Seeff Property Group, Positive momentum builds for Zambia's real estate market, 2024–2025). Between 6 and 10: grade 2/4. Source
• Short-let density: 0.1 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (metro figure) (AirDNA & Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats) 2022 Census of Population and Housing Preliminary Report, 2022–2026). At or below 0.5: grade 4/4. Source
• Resident support for tourism: not measured yet

Access and continuity: 42

• Access redundancy: 2 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Zambia Railways Limited / Zambia Airports Corporation Limited, 2024). Between 2 and 3: grade 2/4. Source
• Air traffic recovery: not measured yet
• Rail share of intercity access: not measured yet
• Rail traffic recovery: not measured yet
• Largest airline group share: not measured yet
• Air route concentration: not measured yet
• Early warning and emergency plan: A national system only; no city plan found (Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU), Office of the Vice-President, Zambia, 2024). Grade 1/4. Source
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: No tourism crisis or recovery plan found (Ministry of Tourism Zambia / ResearchGate Analysis on Zambia Crisis Management, 2024). Grade 0/4. Source
• Government effectiveness: 33 World Bank WGI percentile rank, 0–100 (country figure) (World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025). Between 20 and 40: grade 1/4. Source
• Travel advisory: 1 stricter of the US and Canadian government advisory for the country, 1 (normal precautions) to 4 (do not travel) (country figure) (US State Department and Government of Canada travel advisories, 2026-09-29). At or below 1: grade 4/4. Source
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source such as a tourist tax or levy (National Assembly of Zambia, The Tourism and Hospitality Act No. 13 of 2015, 2015–2024). Grade 2/4. Source

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