Analysts weigh in as earnings from tourism cross $3.5 billion

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.