NEWS: Tanzania Cheerful On Tourism Growth

Tanzania's Natural Resources and Tourism Minister, Mr. Lazaro Nyalandu is optimistic that Tanzania's tourism industry is set to grow further this year. Up to 2 million tourists are expected to visit the wonderlands of Tanzania by the end of this year.

Speaking at a ceremony organized by Tanzania Tourist Board and Abercrombie & Kent in Arusha, early last week, to bid farewell to a second group of 42 affluent individuals from the United States, who travelled by a private jet (owned by Abercrombie & Kent) for 19 days across Africa, he said already Tanzania had seen a higher figure of tourist arrivals ever achieved in past years. The country is now among the leading destinations in Africa.

Nyalandu 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. The tourism industry generated US$ 1. 7 million in the year 2013. He further emphasized the fact that 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 per cent in the year 2012, raising hopes that the sector will spur the country's economic growth 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 4 days in Serengeti national park were booked by one of the world's luxury travel companies, The Abercrombie & Kent, famous for delivering inspiring experiences in the world's greatest destinations through a global network.

Mr. Geoffrey Kent, the Abercrombie & Kent, CEO, Chair and Founder, speaking at the same function held at the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA), nearly 48 kms from Arusha city, said both group's tour in Serengeti were one of the best in the tour across the continent. Serengeti national park, a World Heritage site, is well known for its annual migration and attracting millions of tourists for year.

He said that his company is dedicated to promote Tanzania tourism and in particular the Serengeti, the second largest park in Tanzania and one of 3 out of the 7 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.

On the sidelines of the affluent tourists, members of the CNBC, who travelled with the group, filmed the Serengeti portion of the tour including the departure at KIA for a prime time NBC/CNBC Television series devoted to the lives of the super-rich with Robert Frank of the Wall Street Journal's "Wealth Report". The show will be broadcast in the US as well as internationally.

Ms. Jessica Joseph a CNBC interviewed minister Nyalandu about Tanzanian tourism before departing to Uganda, where the group visited Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to see mountain gorillas and then travel on to Ethiopia to explore the rock-carved churches of Lalibela.