Dar es Salaam. As Tanzania’s tourism industry continues its recovery, Altezza Travel has set an ambitious target of serving 5,500 tourists in 2025, surpassing the 5,000 it catered to in 2024.
The company’s representative, Mr Dickson Muganda, shared this goal in an exclusive interview with The Citizen on Wednesday, 9 April 2025.
Mr Muganda explained that most company visitors hail from the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, especially Germany, the Netherlands, and France.
However, he noted a growing interest from Eastern European nations, such as Poland, Slovakia, and the Baltic states (Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia).
He also highlighted significant growth from Southern Europe, particularly Spain, prompting Altezza Travel to launch a Spanish-language version of its website in 2024 to cater to this expanding market.
“We are confident that we can meet our target, especially since countries like Spain have not traditionally been major sources of tourists to Tanzania,” said Mr Muganda.
He expressed optimism that the government’s new tourism policies and promotional strategies by the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) would further boost these prospects.
In addition to increasing tourist numbers, Altezza Travel is committed to promoting sustainable tourism that benefits local communities.
He said the company achieved Travelife Certification in 2024, and the process is underway to apply for B Corporation Certification.
“These certifications reflect our dedication to community development, including hiring more local staff,” added Mr Muganda.
To achieve its 2025 target, the company is focused on dynamic planning and adapting its strategies to the evolving tourism landscape.
“Every month, we assess new advertising strategies and how we can stand out in a competitive global market,” said Mr Muganda.
“However, the core of our approach remains rooted in the importance of personal connections. Clients choose operators based on the people they interact with, not necessarily the product or price. We will continue investing in our human capital,” he added.
COVID-19 impacts
While the tourism sector has shown significant recovery post-COVID-19, Mr Muganda acknowledged the pandemic’s lasting impact on the industry.
Many clients were financially devastated, with some businesses going bankrupt and others facing unpaid salaries, leading to numerous cancellations.
“Despite these challenges, Altezza Travel opted to provide full refunds rather than freeze clients’ deposits. This decision severely impacted our development budget, forcing us to delay several planned projects,” he said.
However, he believes it was the right choice, as the company managed to retain its talented workforce.
“We didn’t lay off anyone during the pandemic. We weathered the storm together, and now, it’s clear that sticking together was the right decision,” he said.
As Tanzania’s tourism industry recovers, Mr Muganda said Altezza Travel is focused on building momentum to achieve its goal of serving 5,500 tourists in 2025.
Altezza’s recognition in Tanzania’s travel industry
Altezza Travel was recently awarded Tanzania’s Leading Tour Operator at the 2024 World Travel Awards, a testament to its adaptability in a changing market.
In addition to paying taxes promptly, Altezza was named the largest taxpayer in Hai District, Kilimanjaro Region, in February.
Mr Muganda shared that Tanzania welcomed 5.6 million visitors in 2024, surpassing pre-COVID-19 levels, according to the Minister for Tourism and Natural Resources, Dr Pindi Chana.
The surge in arrivals signals a steady recovery and continued growth despite global market uncertainties.
“The tourism boom has created thousands of jobs, with companies like Altezza Travel expanding their workforce. Over the past year, we’ve grown our staff by more than 25 percent, employing over 260 full-time workers,” he said.
He emphasised that the company’s success isn’t just about revenue but also about creating opportunities for Tanzanians, particularly those from nearby villages.
“We hire based on work ethic and attitude, values our employees possess in abundance,” he explained.
This hiring trend is not exclusive to Altezza, as other tour operators are competing for talent too, contributing to rising employment levels.
This trend encourages young graduates to build careers locally, offering long-term economic benefits for Tanzania’s tourism sector.
Tour operators’ role in conservation efforts
Mr Muganda says as tourism in Tanzania’s national parks flourishes, pressure on local ecosystems increases and tour operators, including Altezza Travel, play crucial roles in conservation.
He says the company collaborates with key conservation bodies such as the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (Tawiri), the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (Tawa), and the National Parks Authority, focusing on wildlife protection and land restoration.
“Recent initiatives include GPS (Global Positioning System) collaring of wild dogs in Tarangire National Park and supporting wildlife rehabilitation in Tabora. Altezza Travel has also planted over 10,000 trees in Rundugai, restoring the area to its original ecological state,” he said.
In response to rising climate threats and bushfire risks, Altezza Travel donated six firefighting containers to Kilimanjaro National Park, which were strategically placed at the park’s entry gates to improve emergency preparedness.
This follows the company’s involvement in fighting fires in 2020 and 2022, where guides and porters played key roles.
“The main challenge during those crises was the time it took to equip volunteers. With the new equipment, this issue has been addressed,” he noted.
“This donation underscores our commitment to supporting conservation and climate resilience in Tanzania’s iconic national parks,” he added.
Supporting local communities through business growth
Mr Muganda stressed that business growth should benefit the broader community, not just the company’s founders and staff. This mindset drives Altezza Travel’s operations.
“We Tanzanians live in large communities – everyone is family. That’s why we aim to support our community,” he said.
The company also runs direct support programmes, including providing school supplies, refurbishing buildings, and covering tuition for children from low-income families.
“This connection between business and community is vital to building a robust private sector, with tourism serving as a key driver of sustainable development,” insists Mr Muganda.
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Africa: Rwanda Gets a Grip Of Marburg, But Mpox ‘Not Yet Under Control’
Monrovia — The Rwanda Minister of State responsible for Health, Dr. Yvan Butera, cautioned that while the country is beginning to see positive signals in its fight against the Marburg virus, the outbreak is “not yet over”. He, however, expressed hope that “we are headed in that direction”. The minister said the epidemiology trend, since the disease was first discovered in the country more than a month ago, is moving towards fewer cases.
Dr. Butera, who was giving updates during an online briefing yesterday, said in the past two weeks, only two deaths were recorded while 14 people recovered from the disease. He said Rwanda was expanding its testing capacity with 16,000 people already inoculated against the disease.
The priority right now, Butera said, is “rapid testing and detection”.
Marburg is a highly virulent disease transmitted through human-to-human contact or contact with an infected animal. The fatality rate of cases, which has varied over the period, is more than 50%, according to the World Health Organization. WHO said the highest number of new confirmed cases in Rwanda were reported in the first two weeks of the outbreak. There’s been a “sharp decline” in the last few weeks, with the country now tackling over 60 cases.
At Thursday’s briefing, a senior official of the Africa Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Ngashi Ngongo, said mpox – the other infectious disease outbreak that countries in the region are fighting – was been reported in 19 countries, with Mauritius being the latest country to confirm a case. He said although no new cases have been recorded in recent weeks in several countries where outbreaks occurred previously – including Cameroon, South Africa, Guinea, and Gabon – Uganda confirmed its first Mpox death. This, he said, is one of two fatalities reported outside Central Africa.
Dr. Ngashi revealed that there was an increase in cases in Liberia and Uganda. He said mpox cases were still on an upward trend.
“The situation is not yet under control.”
Source: allafrica.com
