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Tanzania courts tourism industry investors
2007-05-16 08:38:36
By PST Correspondent, Addis Ababa
As the world eyes Africa as a major tourist destination, Tanzania is courting local and foreign investors to team up and help the government in the construction of hotels and general improvement of the hospitality industry.
Natural Resources and Tourism Minister Jumanne Maghembe has said the country`s tourism industry has been growing at an encouraging pace, adding that investors’ support was vital.
The minister made the remarks on the sidelines of a special gala for African travel agents at a Tanzania Tourism Award ceremony organised here by the African Travel Association (ATA) last weekend.
`A lot of work has been done to improve tourism and hospitality in the sector over the last few years but we have a hard and long way ahead to promote the country`s natural attractions and potentials, especially in
strategic sources (countries) of tourists,` he noted.
Prof Maghembe explained that construction of more tourist hotels and other recreation-related facilities would lure more local and foreign investors.
Improved tourism sectors would attract more holidaymakers from North America and Europe to renowned tourist destinations like Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Crater and Zanzibar, he said.
He described the awards given to firms that contributed to the promotion of Tanzania`s tourist attractions as major milestone in the country`s long-term efforts in publicising its tourist potentials and attractions to the rest of the world.
Travel agents conferred with the awards during the annual event included Qatar Airways, Singita Grumeti Reserves - one of the world’s luxurious eco-tourism resorts, Micato Safaris, Silversea Cruises, and USA Today - an American newspaper with a worldwide distribution.
The awards are meant to honour individuals and institutions that have played a notable role in promoting Tanzania`s tourism, according to Prof Maghembe.
The Tanzania Tourist Board established the awards to show support and appreciation to travel professionals and media institutions and personalities confirmed to have worked hard in selling Tanzania abroad.
“It serves as one of the strategic incentives to boost the number of promoters of tourism potentials available in the country,” the minister clarified.
He said global tourism was growing at an average rate of 5.1 per cent annually and the growth rate for Africa ranged between 8.1 and 8.5 per cent but growth in Tanzania`s tourism industry had registered a 15 per cent growth rate since 2005.
Currently, tourism contributes some 17.2 per cent to the country`s gross domestic product, second to agriculture. However, local tourism experts predict that the industry`s contribution to the GDP might surpass that of agriculture by 2012.
The sector`s bright future is thanks to the fact that it attracts visitors from abroad and decorative shops stocked with unique clothes and other items catch the eyes of tourism enthusiasts.
`It is possible to enhance the (tourism) industry`s profile and thus increase the number of tourist arrivals if we make efforts to have more tourism-related facilities,` noted TTB official Amant Macha.
Official records show that Tanzania hosted 700,000 tourists last year, and experts have projected that the figure will reach one million this year.
According to some projections, the country`s tourist arrivals could hit the 1,500,000 mark by 2010 and two million five years later.
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