Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s tourism receipts have approached the $4 billion mark, reaching $3.947 billion in the year ending February 2025, as the number of international visitors continues to rise following sustained promotion of Destination Tanzania.
The latest figures from the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) show that the earnings represent a significant increase from the $3.495 billion recorded in the corresponding period in 2024.
The surge in earnings is attributed to the government’s initiatives to revitalise the tourism sector, which had been severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
These efforts have been spearheaded by President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration, which strongly emphasises showcasing local attractions to the global market.
“A surge in international arrivals to 2,169,208 [in February 2025] from 1,881,823 in the corresponding period in 2024 accounted for much of the increase in travel receipts,” the BoT’s March 2025 Monthly Economic Review (MER), published on April 4, reads in part.
Tourism remained the leading contributor to the country’s export earnings, followed closely by gold.
According to the MER, gold exports fetched $3.66 billion during the year ending February 2025, marking an increase of more than $500 million from the $3.114 billion recorded in the corresponding period of the previous year.
Foreign exchange earnings from transit trade also rose to $2.48 billion in February 2025, up from $2.297 billion in the same period in 2024.
However, exports of manufactured goods declined slightly to $1.345 billion from $1.375 billion over the same comparative period.
Overall, total exports of goods and services rose by 18.8 percent to reach $16.737 billion in the year ending February 2025, up from $14.094 billion in the corresponding period in 2024.
This compares to imports of goods and services, which increased more moderately to $17.511 billion from $16.040 billion in the corresponding period in 2024.
“This moderation resulted from reduced imports of refined petroleum products, machinery and wheat grain,” the MER report states.
As a result of the stronger export performance, the current account deficit narrowed to $2.175 billion from $2.907 billion in the corresponding period in 2024.
