Dar es Salaam. The government’s effort to increase the number of tourists from the Covid-19 hit is expected to receive a boost from the Swahili International Tourism Expo (S!TE) 2023, which aims to bring more visitors to the country this year.
According to the Tanzania Tourism Board (TTB), approximately 350 international tourism product traders from within and outside the country are expected to attend the exhibition scheduled for October 6–8, 2023, in Dar es Salaam.
The government has been designing various initiatives to attract tourists, including President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s Royal Tour documentary, which is reported to have boosted the number of arrivals to pre-Covid levels.
“With this year’s fair, we are confident that the $6 billion revenue target by 2025 will be achieved,” TTB director general Mr Damas Mfugale told The Citizen yesterday.
“Our projection remains five million tourists a year,” he emphasised, adding that attainment of the five million tourists would, among other things, hinge on diversification of tourist attractions and the introduction of new products.
He explained that deliberate measures would be focused on the meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibition segment targets to contribute to the goal.
Mr Mfugale noted that through the Swahili Expo initiative, there has been an increase in exhibitors and international buyers, giving an example of between 2014 and 2022, when exhibitors increased from 40 to 170 and international buyers increased from 24 to 333.
He said that the expo was part of the implementation of the National Five-Year Development Plan III (FYDP III, 2021/22–2025/26) where, “MICE Tourism is classified as a strategic tourism product.”
According to him, this year there will be a special platform for the promotion of various tourism products as well as investments, seminars on tourism and marketing issues, and meetings of tourism traders. He also said there will be six days of travel trips to various tourist attractions in the country.
“Participants will visit places including Ruaha, Tarangire, Mkomazi, Serengeti, Saanane, Nyerere, Ngorongoro, Kilwa Kisiwani, Songo Monument, and Zanzibar Islands,” he explained.
He, therefore, called on tourism stakeholders from local and abroad, especially tourism business agents, accommodation providers, travel agents, and tour guides, to prepare for the economic and social opportunities that will arise from the expo.
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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
