Dar es Salaam. The Tanzanian government has pledged to continue improving the business and investment environment in the tourism sector so that it can contribute more significantly to the national economy and overall development.
The minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Dr Pindi Chana, made the remarks on Tuesday May 13 during the third Ministerial Public-Private Dialogue (MPPD) for the tourism sector held at St Gasper Hotel in Dodoma.
She said her ministry was implementing various strategies to boost tourism, including enhancing service delivery, upgrading tourism infrastructure, and increasing marketing of tourist attractions.
“As a result of these efforts, the number of tourist visits has reached 5,360,247 – comprising 3,218,352 domestic tourists and 2,141,895 foreign visitors – generating revenue amounting to USD 3.3 billion,” Dr Chana said.
The growth has not gone unnoticed globally. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), Tanzania recorded the highest growth in international tourist arrivals in Africa compared to pre-Covid levels in 2019.
“In its January 2024 World Tourism Barometer report, UN Tourism named Tanzania among the top global destinations that broke records in international arrivals between January and December 2023,” she said.
Globally, Tanzania ranked 12th in terms of increase in international tourist arrivals, following Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Albania, El Salvador, Colombia, Andorra, Ethiopia, Curaçao, the Dominican Republic, and the US Virgin Islands.
Dr Chana also highlighted that Tanzania continued to receive multiple international tourism accolades in 2024. Among them are Africa’s Leading Destination, World’s Leading Safari Destination, and African Leading Tourism Attraction for Mount Kilimanjaro.
Serengeti National Park retained its status as the best national park globally, and the Tanzania Tourist Board was recognised as the continent’s best.
She called upon stakeholders to maintain strong collaboration with the Ministry to ensure the sustainable development and management of the tourism sector for the broader national interest.
For his part, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Hassan Abbasi, clarified that foreign currency payments for international transactions in the sector would continue as usual.
He explained that restrictions only applied to local transactions.
Dr Abbasi further assured stakeholders that there would be no abrupt introduction of fees and levies during this period.
Should such a move be considered in future, he said, stakeholders would be fully involved in the process.
The Chairman of the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO), Mr Wilbard Chambulo, urged the government to prioritise infrastructure development within protected areas to attract more investors.
He also appealed for continued authorisation of the use of US dollars in international tourism trade.
Mr Chambulo additionally called on the government to address insurance coverage for tour guides and porters, and to ensure that investment agreements are fair and balanced for all investors engaging with the state.
