Tanzania Tourism Earnings Rising - Report

By And Ludger Kasumuni

Dar es Salaam — Tanzania's tourism earnings have jumped from $1,853 million (Sh3.7 trillion) in 2013 to $2,006 million (Sh4.01 trillion) in 2014.

This represents an 8.2 per cent increase in the same period, according to the government's report released yesterday.

The report, released jointly by the Ministry of Tourism and Natural Resources, the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), attributes the increase to more international visitors coming from new sources.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Natural Resources, Major General Gaudens Milanzi, said that the tourism sector growth had recorded 24 per cent of total export earnings with an increase of international tourists from 1,095,885 in 2013 to 1,140,156 in 2014. Major General Milanzi said that the tourism data was compiled by a survey conducted in 2015 by his ministry in collaboration with BoT, NBS, Planning Commission and Zanzibar Commission of Tourism.

"The average night spending of all tourists visiting the country in 2014 was valued at $221, a slight decrease from $284 recorded in 2013," he said.

On Zanzibar's tourism performance, he said there was an increase of earnings from $210.5 million to $269.3 million in the same period

According to him, Zimbabwe, Holland and China constituted the new market among the 15 countries that comprise a lucrative market for the country's tourism, replacing Sweden, Switzerland and India.

The 54.1 per cent of international visitors had spent between eight and 20 days in the country on average, while the greatest volume of visitors were from the US, UK, France and Italy, and the lowest volume of visitors was from Zimbabwe, according to the same report.

The survey also shows that many tourists expressed concern over lack of credit cards as 87 per cent of international visitors were compelled to use cash spending all the time.

Deputy executive secretary in the Planning Commission under the finance ministry, Ms Hapiness Mgalula, said that the government was taking measures to expand tourism resources by expanding international airports and revamping the national flag carrier, ATCL (Air Tanzania Company Limited), as President Magufuli had promised.

The managing director of the Tanzania Tourist Board, Ms Devota Mdachi, said that the government was also striving to improve tourism marketing techniques through introduction of Swahili festivals and diversification of new areas of tourism rather than focising too much on wildlife tourism.