Tanzania: TTB Eyes Increased Hotel Industry Investment

Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) Acting Managing Director, Devota Mdachi speaks during the official opening of the BEST Western Plus Colosseum Hotel, located along Nkrumah Street in Dar es Salaam. She is flanked by the hotel's Director of Operations, Mr Mustafa Dhanji , the Managing Director of the hotel, Mr Muslim Jaffer and the hotel Chairman, Mr Mustafa Sabodo. (Photo by Mohamed Mambo)

INVESTORS in the hotel industry have been urged to increase investments in the high class tourist hotel facilities in order to cater for the growing demand.

Tourism industry is the vehicle for economic development and employment creation. The sector has been the leading contributor of revenues to the national coffers and last year alone it contributed over 1.5 billion US dollars.

This was said in Dar es Salaam by the Acting Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) Managing Director, Ms Devota Mdachi at an official opening of Best Western Plus Colosseum Hotel.

"The opening of the Best Western Plus Colosseum Hotel is an important initiative in the move to cater for the growing demand for high standard hotel facilities in the country," she said adding that, "There is still big potential in the hotel industry for investors to explore and tap the opportunities."

She added, "The base for future development of tourism as a vehicle for economic development, employment creation is now on the hands of the private sector.

This is exactly what investors in the Best Western Plus Colosseum Hotel have done, that adds value for the sector to attract more tourists." She said, for example, in 2013 tourists who came to the country for recreational reasons were 890,000 and of those 65,922 came for business tourism and the number has been increasing every year.

She said TTB managed to reach its one millionth targets of tourists in 2012 and that it will hit the 1.5 million mark in 2015. "All these calls for increased investments in the hotel facilities to cater for the increased demand," she noted.

A prominent businessman and owner of the Best Western Plus Colosseum Hotel, Mr Mustafa Sabodo, said service industry is one of the significant sectors of the economy that calls for increased investments.

"Where the service industry including the hotel is strong, it signifies vibrant economic growth of the country," he said, calling for the improved services in the hotel sector in order to meet the international standards.

The Best Western Plus Colosseum Hotel Director of Operations Mr Mustafa Dhanji said the hotel has 90 rooms and employs over 80 people.

He said the hotel meets the international standards and in just few days of its operations, it has attracted a good number of visitors.