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Arusha — Tanzania's Natural Resources and Tourism Minister, Lazaro Nyalandu is optimistic the tourism industry
will grow this year with the expected arrival of some two million
visitors.
He said: "Our immediate focus in tourism is to ensure that affluent
tourists from all over the world come to visit Tanzania with their
private jets, in order to boost the foreign earnings, in which the
tourism industry generated $1.7 million in the year 2013."
Speaking at a ceremony to bid farewell to a second group of 42
high-net worth individuals (affluent people) from the United States last
week, he said already Tanzania has seen a higher figure of tourist
arrivals than ever and the country is among the leading destinations in
Africa.
The Americans travelled by a private jet (owned by Abercrombie & Kent) for a 19- day safari across Africa.
Nyalandu said tourism in Tanzania is one of the leading industries to
break the poverty cycle among the rural poor by uplifting their
livelihood and quality of life.
The itinerary of the first group of 42 tourists which visited
Tanzania two weeks ago through a 'Travel with us in Africa: Across A
Continent by Private Jet' took the tourists through Ethiopia, Tanzania,
Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana and South Africa.
According to the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB), the number of tourists
visiting Tanzania grew by 24% in the year 2012, raising hopes that the
sector will spur the country's economic growth momentum from its GDP
contribution of 17% to 25%. In 2011, a total of 867,994 tourists visited
Tanzania compared to 1,077, 058 in 2012.
The tourists who spent four days in Serengeti National Park were
booked by Abercrombie & Kent, one of the world's leading luxury
travel companies. Geoffrey Kent, the Abercrombie & Kent, CEO, Chair
and Founder, speaking at the same function held at the Kilimanjaro
International Airport said the Serengeti visit by the two groups was one
of the best during their African tour.
Serengeti is a World Heritage site, well known for its annual migration and attracting millions of tourists annually.
He said that his company is dedicated to promote Tanzania tourism and
in particular, Serengeti, the second largest park in Tanzania and one
of three out of the seven Africa's natural wonders.
Beautiful weather, abundant wildlife and bird' species, coastal and
beach tourism have seen Tanzania attract more regional and International
tourists, including some of the world's wealthiest business and showbiz
people.
Top American business television networks, NBC and CNBC covered the trips..
Jessica Joseph, a CNBC crew took time to interview Nyalandu about
Tanzanian tourism before they departed for Uganda, where the group is to
visit Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to see Mountain Gorillas then on to
Ethiopia to explore the rock-carved churches of Lalibela.
SOURCE; Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam
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