Dar es Salaam. The latest report by the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) has confirmed that the travel and tourism sector, which ended the 2024 calendar year as the country’s top foreign exchange earner, has maintained its dominance in early 2025 by reaching a record-breaking $3.927 billion.
According to the BoT’s January 2025 statistics, tourism accounted for 56.8 per cent of all service exports and contributed 24.1 per cent of Tanzania’s total foreign exchange earnings from the combined sales of goods and services.
The sector was followed at a distance by minerals, which generated $3.5 billion, and transport, which brought in $2.4 billion.
When asked about the factors behind this success, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Dr Hassan Abbasi, attributed it to the strategic promotional efforts initiated in 2022 by President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
He also attributed the success to tourism promotion through the Tanzania: The Royal Tour, a documentary that significantly boosted both international and domestic tourist arrivals.
“Additionally, in 2024, the President spearheaded another strategic film campaign in China, a highly competitive tourism market. The film Amazing Tanzania performed exceptionally well. It was launched in Beijing and, by December, had attracted over 20,000 Chinese tourists,” he said.
Dr Abbasi further noted that the government had strengthened tourism marketing by collaborating with the private sector through two key initiatives.
“The first is what we call ‘roadshows,’ where we engage face-to-face with tourism industry stakeholders in key markets. We have visited China, India, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Poland, and this strategy is ongoing,” he said.
“The second approach is the Fam Trips initiative, which brings international travel agents, journalists, and celebrities to experience and promote Tanzania. For instance, PSG football star Achraf Hakimi visited, and his social media posts reached millions of followers. Similarly, a group of female celebrities from China filmed Divas Hit the Road, a show that attracted 1.2 billion viewers worldwide,” he said.
“In 2025, we must sustain these efforts. In fact, several global stars, including the owner of a renowned football club, are expected to visit Tanzania soon. The work continues,” he added.
