Dar es Salaam. Tanzania is comfortably gaining from tourism as the sector shows signs of a complete recovery from the negative effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic.
Official figures now put the number of tourist arrivals at a record 2.026 million.
The figures, published by the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) show that these tourists brought in a record $3.534 billion during the year ended July 2024.
This, according to the BoT’s Monthly Economic Review (MER) for August 2024, was $531.8 million more than what the country registered during the preceding year.
“The rise in travel receipts arises from the recovery observed in the tourism industry, reflected by the increase of tourist arrivals by 22 percent to 2,026,378,” the BoT says in the report.
This rise propelled Tanzania’s services receipts increase to $6.706 billion during the year ending July 2024, up from $5.542 billion in the corresponding period in 2023, the BoT says.
Analysts say the numbers reflect a full recovery from the travel restrictions imposed by major source countries world the Covid-19.
They (the numbers) are also a result of country’s own marketing initiatives, including ‘Tanzania: The Royal Tour’ documentary.
Tanzania had a target of receiving two million tourists in 2020 but the target was knocked down by the global Covid-19 pandemic.
With the pandemic, the number dropped from 1.3 million in 2019 to only about 600,000 in 2020.
It was against such a background that the Tanzania: The Royal Tour documentary was filmed.
The Royal Tour is a series of television specials, produced and hosted by Emmy Award-winning journalist Peter Greenberg, showcasing Tanzania’s tourist attractions, with President Samia Suluhu Hassan as the tour guide.
In line with its traditional markets, the film was first launched at New York in the United States, targeting the big spenders and goers of the west to showcase the natural and cultural heritage that Tanzania do possess. It was then filmed in Los Angeles before it was brought home to Zanzibar and Arusha.
Tanzania Local Tour Operators (TLTO) chairman Samuel Daniel emphasised the importance of continuing to market Tanzania’s attractions. “The Royal Tour documentary, led by President Samia Suluhu Hassan, effectively stimulated interest in Tanzania.
However, many people still remain unaware of what Tanzania has to offer. The Tanzania Tourist Board and the Ministry should keep promoting these attractions,” he said.
Mr Daniel also highlighted the need for Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) to create a more tourist-friendly environment with affordable travel options. He pointed out that high tourist costs are a concern and stressed the need for a coordinated effort to address these issues.
In addition, Daniel underscored the necessity for improved infrastructure, including roads and hotels, to maintain and grow tourist interest.
Meanwhile the Executive Director of the Hotel Association of Tanzania, Kennedy Edward, attributed the increase in tourist numbers to long-term initiatives from 2021 to 2023.
He noted that improvements in service, such as the transition to digital visa processing, have positively impacted the tourism sector.
“Service quality has improved across both public and private sectors, enhancing the overall tourist experience,” Edward said.
However, Edward also pointed out that while the North region and Zanzibar are performing well, other areas with significant potential such as forest reserves, marine parks and cultural tourism site remain untapped.
He said the focus moving forward will be on capturing these untapped markets and further enhancing Tanzania’s tourism infrastructure to build on the current success.
On his part, the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators, Chairman Wilbard Chambulo said that the Royal tour has played a great role in advertising Tanzania tourist’s attractions.
However, he noted that Tanzania needs to invest more on accommodation and infrastructure especially as some roads leading to national parks are difficult to reach.
“The government also needs to improve its investment policy to put up more investments in the tourists sector,” he said.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics, as quoted from the Immigration department, show that the United States is the key source of tourists to Tanzania, followed by Italy, Germany, Zambia, United Kingdom, France, Kenya, Burundi, Spain and Uganda.
The Democratic Republic of Congo, the Netherlands, Zimbabwe, Canada and India complete the list of top 15.
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Tanzania: Samia Hands Over NBC’s 354m/ – Crop Insurance Compensation to Farmers Affected By Hailstorms
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, has handed over a cheque of 354m/- from the National Bank of Commerce (NBC) as compensation to tobacco farmers, who were affected by hailstorms during the previous farming season in various regions across the country.
Handing over the cheque in Dodoma, the compensation is part of the crop insurance service provided by NBC in collaboration with the National Insurance Corporation (NIC).
Furthermore, President Samia has also handed over health insurance coverage to members of the Lindi Mwambao Cooperative Union based in Lindi Region, through the Farmers’ Health Insurance service provided by the bank in partnership with Assurance Insurance Company.
While visiting the bank’s pavilion at the Nanenane Agricultural Exhibition and being received and briefed by the bank’s Managing Director, Mr. Theobald Sabi, she said: “This crop insurance is one of the crucial solutions in ensuring farmers have a reliable income, without fear of challenges such as natural disasters, including hailstorms.
“I call upon all farmers in the country to make the best use of this important opportunity by accessing these kinds of insurance services. I also highly commend NBC and all the stakeholders participating in this programme.”
Elaborating further on the crop insurance service, the Minister of Agriculture, Hussein Bashe, stated that it will help to recover the loss farmers incurred, especially in various calamities beyond their control.
Citing them as floods, fires, and hailstorms, which have significantly affected the well-being of farmers and caused some to be reluctant to invest in the crucial sector, Mr Bashe added: “However, our President, this step by NBC is just the beginning, as this is the second year since they started offering this service, and the results are already visible.
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“As the government, we promise to continue supporting the wider implementation of this service, with the goal of ensuring that this crop insurance service reaches more farmers.”
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On his part, Mr Sabi said that the farmers who benefited from the compensations are from 23 primary cooperative unions in the regions of Shinyanga, Geita, Tabora, Mbeya, Katavi, and Kigoma.
He added: “In addition to these insurance services, as a bank, through this exhibition, we have continued with our programme of providing financial education and various banking opportunities to farmers, alongside offering them various loans, including loans for agricultural equipment, particularly tractors, to eligible farmers.:
At the NBC booth, President Samia also had the opportunity to be briefed on the various services offered by the bank to the farmers namely crop insurance and health insurance services.
There, the President had the chance to speak with some of the beneficiaries of the services, including the Vice-Chairman of the Lindi Mwambao Primary Cooperative Union, Mr. Hassan Mnumbe, whose union has been provided with a health insurance card from the bank.
Source: allafrica.com
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‘No Marburg Confirmed In Tanzania’, But Mpox Remains ‘Public Health Emergency’
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“As of the 15 of January 2025, laboratory results from all suspected individuals were negative for Marburg Virus,” Tanzanian Health Minister Jenista Mhagama said in a statement. This would have marked the country’s second experience with the highly infectious disease that recently killed over a dozen people in neighboring Rwanda. Tanzania previously reported an outbreak of Marburg in 2023 in the Kegara region, said to have been the epicenter of the new suspected cases.
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With thousands of confirmed cases of Mpox across Africa and more than 1000 people having died of the disease – mainly in Central Africa – Kaseya emphasized the need to increase testing, a theme he’s heralded before. The Africa CDC boss said over the next few months the continental health watchdog will deploy additional epidemiologists and community health workers to areas considered hot spots of infectious diseases in the region.
Source: allafrica.com
