WHY ROYAL TOUR IS EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED

President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s documentary that is set to promote Tanzania’s tourist attraction sites to a global audience could not have come at a better time.

Currently, the global economy has been ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic and we are seeing countries grappling with the devastating impact of the virus.

For Tanzania, the decision not to close our borders enabled us to keep the economy open.

However, one of the sectors that couldn’t escape the adverse impact of the global pandemic is the tourism sector.

Due to many countries going under lockdown, it meant that the number of tourists who would on a regular basis visit Tanzania declined ten-fold.

This wreaked havoc to the tourism industry, an industry that employs many Tanzanians directly and indirectly.

With the economy contracting to 2.1 percent in 2020, it meant that more needed to be done to revive various sectors. It is for this reason that president Samia’s endorsement of a documentary that seeks to highlight Tanzania’s unique natural sceneries is lauded as a positive move that will not only promote tourism but also change the perception of some of Tanzania’s iconic landmarks.

Furthermore, we have seen how other countries across the globe have used documentaries to position themselves on the international stage.

Bringing it closer to home, we have seen how Rwanda has capitalised on international sports teams and stars to promote its tourism.

Maximise potential

As such, it is only right that Tanzania leverages such opportunities to maximise the full potential of the vast array of tourist attraction sites we are endowed with.

What serves as an advantage in this effort to promote the tourism sector amid Covid-19 is the fact that Tanzania has remained relatively safe from the extreme effects of the pandemic. In contrast, some of our neighbouring countries have virtually shut down their economies; what this means, is that Tanzania has an opportunity to attract more visitors as the economy remains open.

The recording of the documentary that is meant to promote Tanzania internationally started on August 28, 2021, in Zanzibar where the President was on an official visit.

According to a statement released on August 29, 2021, by Director of Presidential Communications, Jaffar Haniu the head of state will show visitors different attractions. She has already started visiting different spots around the country, along the way, making stops to greet citizens – another good gesture by the Head of State.

It is important to note that Tanzania needs to take ownership of its image to the outside world. We need to tell our own Tanzanian story that speaks true to our culture and historical accounts. For the Royal Tour documentary it is good to see that it is being recorded under the Chairman of the President’s committee who is in charge of coordinating the plan to promote Tanzania internationally. This task has been handed to the permanent secretary in the ministry of Information, Culture, arts and Sports, Dr Hassan Abbas.

The world needs to know that Tanzania is no longer a sleeping African giant.

However, it takes not only the president’s initiatives to bring about positive changes but concerted efforts from every government ministry.