Arusha. Tanzania, Cabo Verde, Morocco, and Kenya have emerged as the top performers in tourism arrivals, recording significant growth in the first seven months of 2024, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).
Overall, Africa saw a seven percent increase in tourist arrivals between January and July 2024 compared to the same period in 2019. Among East African nations, Tanzania and Kenya stand out, with Tanzania leading the way with an impressive 49 percent increase in tourism traffic. Cabo Verde followed with a 34 percent rise, Morocco at 32 percent, and Kenya reported a 10 percent increase.
All four countries surpassed their 2019 tourism figures in the early months of 2024, as detailed in the UNWTO’s September 2024 World Tourism Barometer report. This reflects a gradual recovery in the post-pandemic travel landscape across the continent.
The UNWTO report comes at a time when official figures show that Tanzania was 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.
While there is an overall recovery in African tourism, data indicates that Northern Africa is experiencing the strongest rebound, with a 21 percent increase in international arrivals compared to pre-pandemic levels. This growth surpasses that of Central America, which recorded a 19 percent increase, as well as the Caribbean and Southern and Mediterranean Europe, both at 9 percent.
An estimated 790 million tourists travelled internationally in the first seven months of 2024, marking an 11 percent increase from 2023, though still 4 percent below the levels seen in 2019. Despite these positive trends, experts at the gathering in Arusha voiced concerns regarding the reliability of tourism data from many Sub-Saharan African countries, suggesting that inflated figures may hinder a true understanding of tourism performance.
The UNWTO attributes the strong demand for travel to factors such as increased air connectivity, visa facilitation, and a recovering Asia-Pacific tourism market. The Middle East emerged as the fastest-growing region, with international arrivals climbing 26 percent above 2019 levels.
In Europe and the Americas, tourism figures reached 96 percent and 97 percent of pre-pandemic levels, respectively, while the Asia-Pacific region recorded 82 percent of its 2019 arrivals.
Revised data for 2023 revealed that export revenues from international tourism amounted to USD 1.8 trillion, nearly matching pre-pandemic levels. Furthermore, the direct GDP contribution from tourism reached approximately USD 3.4 trillion, accounting for 3 percent of global GDP.
Looking ahead, the UN Tourism Confidence Index reflects optimistic expectations for the remainder of 2024, currently at 120 points for September to December. However, this is a slight decrease from the 130 points recorded for the May to August period.
Tourism experts highlighted inflation as a key challenge, noting rising transport and accommodation costs that may impact the sector’s growth moving forward.
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Air Tanzania Banned From EU Airspace Due to Safety Concerns
Several airports have since locked Air Tanzania, dealing a severe blow to the Tanzanian national carrier that must now work overtime to regain its certification or go the wet lease way
The European Commission has announced the inclusion of Air Tanzania on the EU Air Safety List, effectively banning the airline from operating in European airspace.
The decision, made public on December 16, 2024, is based on safety concerns identified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which also led to the denial of Air Tanzania’s application for a Third Country Operator (TCO) authorisation.
The Commission did not go into the specifics of the safety infringement but industry experts suggest it is possible that the airline could have flown its Airbus A220 well past its scheduled major checks, thus violating the airworthiness directives.
“The decision to include Air Tanzania in the EU Air Safety List underscores our unwavering commitment to ensuring the highest safety standards for passengers in Europe and worldwide,” said Apostolos Tzitzikostas, EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism.
“We strongly urge Air Tanzania to take swift and decisive action to address these safety issues. I have offered the Commission’s assistance to the Tanzanian authorities in enhancing Air Tanzania’s safety performance and achieving full compliance with international aviation standards.”
Air Tanzania has a mixed fleet of modern aircraft types including Boeing 787s, 737 Max jets, and Airbus A220s.
It has been flying the B787 Dreamliner to European destinations like Frankfurt in Germany and Athens in Greece and was looking to add London to its growing list with the A220.
But the ban not only scuppers the London dream but also has seen immediate ripple effect, with several airports – including regional like Kigali and continental – locking out Air Tanzania.
Tanzania operates KLM alongside the national carrier.
The European Commission said Air Tanzania may be permitted to exercise traffic rights by using wet-leased aircraft of an air carrier which is not subject to an operating ban, provided that the relevant safety standards are complied with.
A wet lease is where an airline pays to use an aircraft with a crew, fuel, and insurance all provided by the leasing company at a fee.
Two more to the list
The EU Air Safety List, maintained to ensure passenger safety, is updated periodically based on recommendations from the EU Air Safety Committee.
The latest revision, which followed a meeting of aviation safety experts in Brussels from November 19 to 21, 2024, now includes 129 airlines.
Of these, 100 are certified in 15 states where aviation oversight is deemed insufficient, and 29 are individual airlines with significant safety deficiencies.
Alongside Air Tanzania, other banned carriers include Air Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe), Avior Airlines (Venezuela), and Iran Aseman Airlines (Iran).
Commenting on the broader implications of the list, Tzitzikostas stated, “Our priority remains the safety of every traveler who relies on air transport. We urge all affected airlines to take these bans seriously and work collaboratively with international bodies to resolve the identified issues.”
In a positive development, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been cleared to resume operations in the EU following a four-year suspension. The ban, which began in 2020, was lifted after substantial improvements in safety performance and oversight by PIA and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA).
“Since the TCO Authorisation was suspended, PIA and PCAA have made remarkable progress in enhancing safety standards,” noted Tzitzikostas. “This demonstrates that safety issues can be resolved through determination and cooperation.”
Another Pakistani airline, Airblue Limited, has also received EASA’s TCO authorisation.
Decisions to include or exclude airlines from the EU Air Safety List are based on rigorous evaluations of international safety standards, particularly those established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
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The process involves thorough review and consultation among EU Member State aviation safety experts, with oversight from the European Commission and support from EASA.
“Where an airline currently on the list believes it complies with the required safety standards, it can request a reassessment,” explained Tzitzikostas. “Our goal is not to penalize but to ensure safety compliance globally.”
Airlines listed on the EU Air Safety List face significant challenges to their international operations, as the bans highlight shortcomings in safety oversight by their home regulatory authorities.
For Air Tanzania, this inclusion signals an urgent need for reform within Tanzania’s aviation sector to address these deficiencies and align with global standards.
The path forward will require immediate and sustained efforts to rectify safety concerns and regain access to one of the world’s most critical aviation markets.
Source: allafrica.com
Tanzania’s opposition party ACT Wazalendo honours veteran politician under new policy
Unguja. Opposition party ACT Wazalendo today officially bids farewell to its former Chairman, Juma Duni Haji, also known as Babu Duni, as part of a new policy designed to honor retired senior leaders at a ceremony held at Kiembesamaki, Zanzibar.
The initiative highlights the party’s commitment to recognizing and supporting individuals who have served with dedication and integrity.
Babu Duni, who stepped down earlier this year, was succeeded by Othman Masoud, now the First Vice President of Zanzibar.
The policy aims to provide ongoing respect and support to retired leaders, ensuring their continued recognition and contribution to the party’s development.
“Recognizing their significant contributions to the development and prosperity of the party, this policy ensures that retired leaders continue to be acknowledged and respected by both the party and the community,” the policy states.
To benefit from this policy, leaders must not have left or been expelled from the party. They must have served the party with honor and dedication. The national leadership committee will determine whether a leader has fulfilled these criteria.
The policy seeks to honor retired leaders, protect their dignity, acknowledge their contributions, leverage their ideas for the party’s growth, and support them to the best of the party’s ability.
In honoring these leaders, the party will provide a vehicle, the type of which will be determined by the national leadership committee. Additionally, they will receive a monthly allowance, with the amount also set by this committee.
Other benefits include health insurance. If a leader does not own a home, the party will cover their rent at a rate decided by the committee.
The leadership committee may also grant special recognition based on the leader’s contributions. Retired leaders will participate in decision-making meetings according to procedures outlined in the party’s constitution.
Depending on the party’s resources at the time, the policy may also apply to retired deputy chairpersons for both the mainland and Zanzibar, the Secretary-General, Deputy Secretary-General for both mainland and Zanzibar, and the party’s Attorney General.
Additionally, leaders, executives, or members with exceptional contributions to the party’s protection, advocacy, and defense may also benefit, as determined by the leadership committee.
Currently, those who are eligible for benefits under this policy include Juma Duni Haji (retired party Chairman) and Zitto Kabwe (retired party leader).Continue Reading
Zanzibar airport operators decry job losses over Dubai deal
Tanzania air operators say over 600 workers are set to lose their jobs after the semi-autonomous government of Zanzibar awarded a Dubai-based company exclusive rights to handle ground services at a refurbished airport.
The Tanzania Air Operators Association (Taoa) said in a statement that the contract awarded to Dnata, which is registered at the London Stock Exchange, was in breach of the law banning any company from having exclusive rights to ground-handling services at major airports.Continue Reading
