Livingstone 2013 – A for Away!

It’s all happening in Livingstone at the moment! After last month’s opening of the One Stop Shop, housing all tourism-related government departments under one roof, Livingstone 2013 was officially opened last week.

Livingstone’s Bi-Centenary 2013, commorating the 200 years since David Livingstone’s birth, was officially launched to top government officials, including Peter Kasanda, Permanent Secretary, Foreign Affairs & Tourism, James Thornton, British High Commissioner in Zambia, any many prominent members of the tourism industry.

High profile guests attended the celebratory lunch at the David Livingstone Safari Lodge. F.l.t.r. Keith Rissik, General Manager of the David Livingstone Safari Lodge; Kennedy Chaile, Trail Blazers; Fred Mwendepole, Thunderbird Car Hire and former Mayor of Livingstone; British High Commissioner James Thornton, LACSEDO Chairperson Belinda Hodge and Sarah McKenzie of Safpar, main sponsors of the event.

Livingstone is hosting a series of arts, cultural and sporting events between 19 March (Livingstone’s birthday) through to 16 November, (the date Dr Livingstone first viewed the Falls back in 1855). The Official Launch was held in the quadrangle of the Livingstone Museum,  – a fitting place to hold the inaugural event to mark the bicentenary of the birth of the renowed Victorian explorer, missionary and doctor, who was born on 19 March 1813 in Scotland.

Activities that are being planned for 2013 include….

•  A medical exchange between Livingstone Hospital and Scotland.
• An International Academic Conference on Livingstone in April 2013 in Livingstone, Zambia.
• The Bicentenary initiative is supporting the Anglican Street Children’s Project, Zambia, through schools and churches in the UK. Already one of the leading British independent girls’ schools has announced that it will bring a group of senior pupils out to Zambia each year to build a school in stages for the project up in Chama, near where Livingstone died. 
• Cultural and business links between Livingstone Zambia and Blantyre in Scotland, where David Livingstone was born. 
• An international photographic /art competition of the Falls.  It is hpoed that the top 50 entries will be exhibited in the foyer of the UNWTO conference hall next August. It would certainly add visual interest and a colour backdrop to the proceedings.
• The recent African Cup of Nations winner Zambian football team will be invited to play – and give children from local schools a chance to meet their heroes.
• Many more sports events, including various water sports competitions on the Zambezi

Belinda Hodge, Chairman of The Livingstone Arts, Cultural & Sporting Events Development Organisation (LACSEDO), encouraged local role players to become involved in the planning of events and sponsorships.

For more information go to http://www.Livingstone2013.com. Everything about the Bicentenary can be found there. The site is connected to Wildside Tours & WHL’s online booking system for accommodation and activities.