ZCT, NMB Bank join forces to boost tourist arrivals

Unguja. NMB Bank Plc and several tourism bodies here, including the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism (ZCT), said on Tuesday that they will be undertaking several initiatives in their joint effort to boost tourist arrivals in the Isles, including those from the Far East.

As part of the initiatives, the two hosted a dinner for Chinese Tour Operators on Tuesday, where they also detailed what they have been doing to boost arrivals, especially from China.

During the dinner, the NMB Bank’s chief human resources officer, Mr Emmanuel Akonaay, said the bank has already partnered with various players in the tourism sector value chain as part of its efforts to drive the rapid and sound growth of the tourism industry.

He said that as part of efforts to ensure convenience in the tourism sector value chain, the bank, in partnership with the Tanzanian Embassy in China, ZCT and Omnihorizon Group, established Tantour, which is an online tourism marketing platform aimed at engaging tourists from the Far East, specifically Chinese.

“NMB is committed to creating a memorable experience for tourists from the point of entry to the point of exit,” he said.

He noted that the bank has a dedicated Chinese desk to handle Chinese customers and has a strong relationship with Chinese banks that include ICBC, Bank of China and Bank of Communication.

“We have recently introduced the Chinese Yuan (CNY) Account where our Chinese clients can receive CNY in China and send CNY from China inbound and outbound,” he said, noting that the lender was capable of supporting loans and guarantees for a single borrower up to $135 million.

The chairman of the Zanzibar Association of Tourism Investors (Zati), Mr Rahim Bhaloo, said during the event that Zanzibar is a secured tourist destination, adding that the island has all the necessary facilities.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary of the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism, Ms Hafsa Mbamba, said the event was just the beginning of the collaboration between the two nations of Tanzania and China.

The head of the Chinese Tourist Operators delegation, Bella Huang, showered praise on the country’s tourism potential during the event, pledging to lure more Chinese tourists to Tanzania in the next few months.

“We have been here for just four days, and we have really enjoyed every bit. Zanzibar is so beautiful and the sea looks so cool. We will strive to ensure that we bring more tourists to Tanzania,” Huang said.

Zanzibar minister for Tourism and Heritage Simai Mohamed Said said during the event that potential tourists from the Far East, including China, are looking for unique destinations.

“These tourists will have the opportunity to see this experience that they are looking for when they come here. I am not saying that other countries are not as good as Tanzania, but the truth is that we are a unique country,” he said.