ZATEX Tourism Push: President Hakainde Hichilema used the official opening of Zambia’s 2026 Zambia Travel Exposition (ZATEX) to stress tourism’s role in jobs, diversification and regional cooperation, targeting 2.5m visitors and $1bn in revenue while pointing to road upgrades to key parks and the “Visit Zambia” drive. Regional Co-opetition: Zimbabwe Tourism Authority CEO Dr George Manyaya told Zambia’s VP Mutale Nalumango that the two countries are “co-opetitors,” not rivals, urging joint marketing so visitors experience both sides of Victoria Falls. Expo Recognition: Zimbabwe also grabbed 1st Runner-Up in the Best International Stand category at ZATEX 2026, highlighting its destination marketing push. Ebola Travel Alerts: St Vincent and the Grenadines issued a strict advisory urging residents to avoid non-essential travel to Ebola-risk countries, listing Zambia among targeted nations and announcing enhanced screening and possible quarantine on arrival. Green Growth Approvals: ZEMA approved 103 development projects across mining, energy, manufacturing, infrastructure and tourism, including 300MW solar, recycling plants in Lusaka and Kalumbila, and upgrades to the Chipata–Chadiza road. Hydropower Upgrade: The Zambezi River Authority joined the International Hydropower Association, aiming to strengthen technical capacity and investor confidence as it advances Kariba rehabilitation and the Batoka Gorge scheme. US Visa Processing Shake-up: Reports say the US plans to cut visa-processing missions across Africa from nearly 50 to about 20 hubs, which could mean longer, costlier travel for applicants.