Latest news with #AmazingTanzania
Business Wire
03-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Tanzania Tourism Sees Dramatic Increase in Visitor Numbers and Revenues
DODOMA, Tanzania--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Government of the Republic of Tanzania has announced significant progress in growing its tourism sector with international tourism volumes increasing by 132 per cent from 922,692 tourists in 2021 to 2,141,895 in 2024. This was complemented by even faster growth of 308 per cent in domestic tourism, from 788,933 in 2021 to 3,218,352 in 2024. The United Nations Tourism body, UN Tourism, has ranked Tanzania the fastest growing Africa destination in 2024, with a 48 per cent increase compared to the pre-COVID-19 period. Ethiopia had the second-fasted growth rate of 40 per cent, Morocco saw 35 per cent, Kenya 11 per cent, and Tunisia saw tourism growth of 9 per cent. Tanzania's Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Dr Pindi Chana, highlighted that growing tourism volumes and value was a flagship policy of Her Excellency, President Samia Suluhu Hassan, and that a goal to grow combined international and domestic tourism volumes to 5 million had already been exceeded. 'These results stem from the vision and commitment of our President, Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan, who championed promotional campaigns such as The Royal Tour and Amazing Tanzania,' Dr Chana explained. 'This progress has positioned Tanzania 9th globally and 3rd in Africa in tourism revenue growth compared to the pre-COVID-19 era,' she said. Tourism earnings have also witnessed a major jump, with revenues from international tourists increasing from $1.3 billion in 2021 to $3.9 billion in 2024—a growth rate of 200 percent. Domestic tourism revenues also rose from TZS11 billion in 2021 to TZS209 billion in 2024, reflecting a surge of over 350 per cent. The President of Tanzania, Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan, has personally championed tourism growth in Tanzania. From her decision to roll out mass Covid vaccinations in 2021, which reversed the previous government's policies and reopened Tanzania to international travel, to her participation in events like the World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit, where she addressed the audience as a keynote speaker, President Samia Suluhu's government has made tourism growth a strategic investment priority. This investment has begun to generate global recognition for Tanzania as a tourist destination, with the country winning several awards at the prestigious World Travel Awards (WTA), including Africa's Leading Destination (2024) and World's Leading Safari Destination (2024). Serengeti National Park retained its title as the best safari destination globally for the sixth consecutive year since 2019. Mount Kilimanjaro was named Africa's Leading Tourist Attraction in 2024, while Serengeti was ranked the world's second-best safari destination by The Times of India. Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) also received international recognition for service quality from the European Society for Quality Research (ESQR), winning the award for the fifth time in a row (2020–2024), while the Tanzania Tourist Board was named Africa's Best Tourism Board. Additionally, Tanzania has been selected to host the African edition of the World Travel Awards in June 2025. Tanzania has achieved major progress in wildlife protection and management through anti-poaching operations, intensified patrols, and the adoption of modern technology. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), Tanzania leads in Africa and globally with around 17,000 lions, 225,000 buffaloes, and 24,000 leopards. The population of black rhinos rose from 163 in 2021 to 263 in 2025, a 61 per cent increase, while elephant poaching incidents dropped by nearly 90 percent.
Borneo Post
22-04-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
Tanzanian students embrace Chinese language as tourism boom drives demand
Asha Fum Khamis (right), a Chinese language instructor assigned by the Confucius Institute, teaches Chinese language at the National College of Tourism in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on April 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Emmanuel Herman) DAR ES SALAAM (April 23): Seated in a modest classroom, Tanzanian tourism student Noel Ivon Isack intently traces Chinese characters in his notebook. The 19-year-old aspires to leverage his new language skills to build a career to guide visitors through Tanzania's renowned wildlife reserves and scenic beaches. 'I want to make Chinese visitors feel at home,' said Isack, a third-year student at the National College of Tourism (NCT) in Dar es Salaam. 'Most of them only speak Chinese, so if we want them to enjoy Tanzania, we must speak their language.' With a growing influx of Chinese tourists, Tanzania's state-run tourism college has launched Chinese language courses in collaboration with the Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam to nurture future industry professionals. Of the 531 students currently enrolled, 215 have chosen to study Chinese. 'It is a game changer,' said Farida Sebastian Masalu, the campus manager. 'We want to give our students a competitive edge as Tanzania strengthens ties with China.' Since 2023, Tanzania has ramped up efforts to attract Chinese visitors. One major step was launching the promotional film Amazing Tanzania in Beijing in May 2024, featuring President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Zanzibar's President Hussein Ali Mwinyi, and Chinese actor Jin Dong. 'These initiatives promote Tanzania's tourism and deepen the friendship between our countries,' Masalu said. Tanzania is already seeing results. According to Ephraim Mafuru, director general of the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB), arrivals from China jumped from 44,000 to 62,000 in the past nine months. 'Our goal is to attract at least 1 percent of China's international travelers,' said Ephraim. 'That is 1.3 million tourists, and we are just getting started.' Tanzanian students attend a Chinese language class at the National College of Tourism in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on April 8, 2025. (Xinhua/Emmanuel Herman) To support this ambition, the TTB has partnered with local institutions like NCT to provide Chinese language training for tour guides and workers in the broader tourism value chain. 'The language barrier remains one of our biggest challenges,' Mafuru said. 'But we are working on it. Chinese visitors will feel much more comfortable being welcomed in their language.' According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Tanzania received over 5.36 million tourists in 2024, including 2.14 million international visitors. The country earned about 4 billion U.S. dollars in tourism revenue that year, a significant increase from 2023, Minister Pindi Chana announced in February 2025. Pan Lei from 'Fashion Tourism,' the first Chinese tourist company in Tanzania, told Xinhua that Tanzania boasts some of the world's richest wildlife resources, including the Great Migration in the Serengeti plains. It is also home to Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, and Zanzibar, the pearl of the Indian Ocean. 'This is just the beginning,' said Mafuru. 'China is an essential part of our strategy to grow tourism in the years ahead.' Back in the classroom, 28-year-old student Rajabu Almasi sees the Chinese language as more than just a skill. He sees it as an investment. 'You cannot ignore China,' he said. 'If we want to succeed in tourism, we need to understand our guests, their language, their culture, and their needs.' Asha Fum Khamis, a Chinese language instructor assigned by the Confucius Institute to teach at NCT, echoed this sentiment. 'I am not just teaching a language,' she said. I am preparing these students for real opportunities, including jobs, partnerships, and cultural bridges.' Khamis said Chinese-speaking Tanzanians will soon be in high demand across the tourism sector, from tour guiding to hospitality and beyond. 'The wave is coming,' she said with a smile. 'Our students will be ready to ride it.' – Xinhua Chinese language students Tanzania tourism
