Tanzania set to hold first Swahili international tourism exhibition

DAR ES SALAAM (Xinhua) -- The Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) has announced that it will organize its first Swahili international tourism expo aimed at boosting and marketing the East African nation’s tourism.

Devota Mdachi, TTB acting managing director, said the expo to be held in Arusha between Oct. 1 and 4, will bring together local tourism related businesses and link them with international counterparts which in turn will connect locals to international markets.

"TTB has budgeted 300,000 U.S. dollars for organizing this tourism expo," said Mdachi, adding that the event, the first of its kind to be conducted in Tanzania, will also be supported by other players in the tourism industry.
She named the sponsors as Ethiopian Airlines, the Tanzania National Parks Authority and the Ngorongoro Area Conservation Authority.

Tanzania tourism industry has grown to become the largest foreign exchange earner, contributing 17.2 per cent of the country’ s gross domestic product.

The Bank of Tanzania’s monthly economic review of July reveals that the country has earned nearly 2 billion dollars from tourism receipts since July 2013, reflecting a 12 per cent increase.