Tanzania: Tackle Hurdles to Attract Two Million Tourists By 2020, Govt Urged

Dar Es Salaam — The government will undertake a number of projects in the coming four years in the endeavour to attract two million tourists by 2020.

But the sector players say the goal will be achieved if poaching, multiple taxes, poor infrastructures and inadequate promotion funds are addressed.

Tourism is Tanzania's leading foreign exchange earner. The country earned $2.23 billion from travels and related activities in 2015, up from $2.01 billion in 2014, according to Bank of Tanzania (BoT) figures.

An estimated 1.1 million tourists visited the country last year.

To increase the numbers, the country will add impetus to the tourism landmark by encouraging local tourism and opening up some new attractions in the southern zone. The country will also increase the number of beds and the number of tourism products to achieve the desired numbers," reads a statement in the National Five-Year Development Plan 2016/2017 to 2020/2021.

A number of new tourism products are on the cards, with a Sh500-million Theme Park earmarked for construction in Dar es Salaam during the financial year. Construction of an investment building - Utalii House - will be continued at area where the United States Embassy used to be in Dar es Salaam.

To support the envisaged numbers, which will also mean increased earnings, the government will also attract more investors into the industry who will be required to invest in hotels and increase the number of beds during the next few years. Latest statistics from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism indicate that country is a home to 174 registered tourist hotels with a total room capacity of 21,929.

Of the number 91 hotels are in Tanzania's northern safari capital, Arusha. This reflects a serious shortage of hotel rooms to accommodate the explosion number of holidaymakers as in 2014; the natural-resources-rich-country was attracted 1,140,156 tourists.

Training in the sector will be taken seriously, according to the Plan.

Stakeholders are however of the view that the goal will only be reached if the country works on factors pertaining to poaching, multiple taxes, poor infrastructures and inadequate promotion funds. Over the past six years, more than 80,000 of the country's elephants have been slaughtered for their ivory, representing a 60 per cent of the population, signalling that humanity could soon drive the great animals to extinction. Other threats are loss of natural habitat through human activities incompatible with conservation interests such as cultivation, overstocking of livestock, deforestation, use of pesticides and other pollution.

"It is an open secret that if, we Tanzanians do not conserve our wildlife and look after our natural assets then nature based tourism will not be able to attract two million tourists come 2020," the chief executive officer for Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (Tato), Sirili Akko told BusinessWeek in Arusha in a recent interview. It was in apparent reaction to this that the government says it is setting aside Sh7.46 billion during the coming financial year in order to help the Tanzania Wildlife Authority (Tawa) in its efforts to contain poaching.

Tourism provides 600,000 direct jobs to Tanzanians.

Over one million people earn an income from tourism. Besides, the sector's value chain supports parks, conservation areas and now community-based wildlife management areas (WMAs) as well as farmers, transporters, fuel stations, spare parts suppliers, builders, tent manufacturers plus suppliers of food and drinks. But these benefits are smashed by multiple taxes, levies and fees as visitors see Tanzania as an expensive destination.

"We need to address the issue of multiple taxes, if we are going to succeed to bring two million tourists to Tanzania by 2020 and compete with other countries with the similar attractions," the chief executive officer of Hotels Association of Tanzania (Hat) Ms Lathifa Sykes told BusinessWeek in a recent interview.

Indeed, tour operators in Tanzania are currently subjected to 32 different taxes, twelve being business registration and regulatory licenses fees as well as 11 duties for each tourist vehicle per annum and nine others. The Tato immediate past chairman, Willy Chambullo the contentious issue is modality and time spent in complying with intricate taxes.

"It's cheap to pay penalty for doing business illegally than to comply with complex tax regime in tourism trade in Tanzania" he told BusinessWeek in a recent interview. Tour operator spends over four months to complete regulatory paperwork, whereas the tax and license paperwork consume a total of 745 hours per year.

A report done by Tanzania Confederation of Tourism (TCT) and BEST-Dialogue shows that average annual cost of personnel to complete regulatory paperwork per local tour operator is Sh2.9 million per year. All these costs are normally passed along to end-users, making Tanzania expensive and place the tourism industry in a disadvantaged position.

Tanzania: Nation Abounds With More Tourist Attractions Yet to Be Discovered

Full of wonder and harbouring a diversity of an unparalleled fauna and flora, Tanzania remains a unique destination on the African continent yet to be discovered by foreigners.

Kilimanjaro, the highest permanently snow-capped free standing mountain in Africa, the exotic Islands of Zanzibar, the finest game sanctuaries of Serengeti, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, Ruaha, Selous and the Marine Park of Mafia Island are only but a few of the living examples.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism (MNRT) has recently announced that it is seeking to foster investments in the country's hospitality industry to boost the tourism sector competitiveness among the main international destinations.

According to Permanent Secretary to the ministry, Dr Adelhelm Meru, the country needs more investments in five-star hotels to raise its competitiveness and match the growth in branded rooms' availability with the growth in international visitors.

According to the World Economic Forum (WEFORUM), Tanzania ranks 93rd out of 141 world's tourist destinations rich in natural resources. In addition, the country ranks 5th among African countries with the highest growth in the hospitality industry with an average rate of 6.3 per cent per annum in the last six years.

The Bank of Tanzania (BoT) Monthly Economic Review for February 2016 recently published shows that the value of export of goods and services in the year ending January 2016 increased by 8.6 per cent reaching USD 9,558.7 million, compared with USD 8,795.1 million in the year ending January 2015. BoT explained that the improvement was mainly driven by an increase in travel (tourism) receipts and exports of manufactured goods.

Travel maintained the leading position among foreign currency earners, before manufactured goods, gold and traditional exports, with USD 2,262.6 million worth of exports in the year ending January 2016, showing a year-on-year increase of 9.5 per cent.

The minister for Tourism and Natural Resources Prof Jumanne Maghembe, announced in Dar es Salaam recently that an increase in the tourism sector's budget would be made in 2016 aiming at creating new products and attracting more tourists to the country to boost the sector's economic contribution.

Prof Maghembe made the remark shortly after his appointment as the new Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, a position in which he had served from 2006 to 2008 before he became Minister of Water and Irrigation from February, 2012, to November, 2015.

The project is focused on four priority areas of the Ruaha National Park, Udzungwa Mountain National Park, Mikumi National Park, Selous game reserve and includes communities around them that could benefit from tourism economic activities.

The project is also part of WB's plan to help Tanzania to reach the 8 million visitors a year by 2025 up from above 1 million in 2014 that is focused on diversification of geographic locations and tourism segments, integration of tourism activities at existing attractions and improvement in the quality of governance in the tourism sector.

The announcement was made by Tanzania's Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism Mr Ramo Makani, who in a recent meeting with lawmakers explained that the project implementation would start next year when improvement in tourism infrastructure as roads, airports and accommodations is undertaken.

The project will also enable the government to work on the development of a new tourism circuit in the southern region and upgrade of the Tunduma- Sumbawanga-Mpanda road to allow visitors to visit more than one site connecting the country's southern and western regions, explain Mr Makani.

According to the WB, USD 2.5 million has already been released to facilitate the project's preparation and finance consulting services that will provide concrete recommendations on how to strengthen tourism products in the four key areas.

The tourism sector is a key sector of the Tanzanian economy, contributing 17 per cent to the country's GDP and accounting for 25 per cent of all the foreign exchange earnings, with USD 2 billion in revenues in 2014.

"A major budget would enable the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) to design new products and adopt more innovative strategies to be more competitive in the international marketplace, Prof Maghembe explained. "It would help to attract up to 3 million international visitors in 2018 and double the sector's contribution to GDP from the current USD 2 billion to USD 4 million in the same period," the minister added.

To reach this goal, Tanzania mainly aims at the US as one of its most important markets, reason why former President Jakaya Kikwete started in September, 2015, the campaign "Tanzania, the Soul of Africa" to brand the country through broadcasts in CNN and BBC, Prof Maghembe stressed.

Launched in September 2015 the campaign "Tanzania, the Soul of Africa" is compounded by three elements: the Tanzania tourism app, the tourism destination portal and the 30 seconds TV advert that started to be aired in October, 2015.

The tourism sector in the country has been recently awarded with a USD 100 million loan from the International Development Association (IDA) from the World Bank (WB) group, for the implementation of the Tanzania Resilient Natural Resources Management for Growth Project that aims at strengthening the country's tourism products and value chain.

According to the PS, Dr Meru, the tourism sector plays a significant role in Tanzania's economy giving an example in 2014 alone tourism generated around USD 2 billion which constitutes 25 per cent of Tanzania's foreign exchange earnings.

It is at the forefront of the contribution to the country's economy representing 17 per cent of Tanzania's GDP in 2014 and directly employs around 600,000 people and up to 2 million people indirectly. Tanzania received a record 1.1 million international visitor arrivals in 2014, mostly from Europe, the US and Africa, versus 582,807 in 2004, increasing at a rate of around 10 per cent per annum.

This is also the result of the government strategies and policies introduced in the last 20 years to improve and develop the country's tourism sector, establish the country as a prime safari and beach destination in Africa and raise the sector's contribution to the country's economy. In the Sub-Saharan region, Tanzania ranks 12th with Seychelles leading the group with a punctuation of 4.51.

Tanzania also ranks 82nd out of 184 countries in terms of travel and tourism sector size according to WTTC, and ranks 9th in terms of the sector's long-term growth. By 2025, Tanzania's tourism sector is expected to grow at a rate of 6.2 per cent per annum, against an expected world average growth of 3.7 per cent according to WTTC.

Prior to his election and during last year's presidential general elections, Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) presidential candidate, Dr John Pombe Magufuli promised that if elected he would give first priority to the nation's tourism sector to spur development of the national economy and eradicate unemployment.

Jovago’s Hospitality Report Reveals Tanzania’s Tourism Potential

 The report explains the tourism and hospitality sector’s direct contribution to Tanzania’s economy and explains the national plan for boosting tourism arrivals in the coming years.

A fascinating survey into Tanzania’s evolving hospitality sector by Jovago.com, Africa’s leading hotel online booking platform, has revealed the latest traveller trends across the country.

“Tanzania is a growing tourism market,” explained the company’s CEO Paul Midy in his introduction to the report who added, “Jovago intends to nurture and grow by enabling both local and foreign tourists to discover more about their destinations long before arrival.”

The report explains the tourism and hospitality sector’s direct contribution to Tanzania’s economy and explains the national plan for boosting tourism arrivals in the coming years.

Jovago, a web-based hotel booking service for Tanzania, was well placed to explain how digital platforms are becoming increasingly important for the sector. The nation’s leading marketer of hotels, lodges and guest houses offered statistical insights into online hospitality searches and booking trends. The report also included exclusive interviews with Richard Rugimbana,Executive Secretary of the Tourism Confederation of Tanzania and Yehia El Mansoury Group Director of Business Development for Doubletree by Hilton.

Andrea Guzzoni, Jovago’s country manager, concluded the interview with an upbeat assessment of the potential for the sector to expand income from domestic tourism. “There is still huge potential to offer attractive priced and varied holiday or leisure options to the rising middle class in the country.” Remarked Mr Guzzoni during a media conference in Arusha held to launch the report where he assured all tourism stakeholders of Jovago’s readiness to showcase the nation’s diverse hospitality offering through their online accommodation booking site.

Tanzania: Mount Kilimanjaro Wins Africa's Leading Tourist Attraction Award

MOUNT Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, and the highest freestanding mountain in the world, has been declared Africa's leading tourist attraction in 2016 during the World Travel Awards Africa and Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony in Zanzibar.

A statement issued by the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB), yesterday said the red carpet event attended by hundreds of tourism industry leaders was hosted by Diamonds La Gemma Dell'est, Nungwi the northern tip of Zanzibar, last Saturday.

"Tanzania Tourist Board is honored to see that Mt. Kilimanjaro has been voted as the leading tourist destination in Africa. This nomination will definitely contribute towards our efforts in promoting Destination Tanzania, especially in making the world know that Tanzania is home to Mt Kilimanjaro; the pinnacle wonder of Africa, “reads part of the statement.

Mount Kilimanjaro is the world's most accessible high snow-capped summit, a beacon for visitors from around the world and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In addition to Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzanian tourism companies also won different awards in various categories. "TTB congratulates all companies nominated at the World Travel Awards Africa and Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony and is confident that their victory is a very strong tool in the marketing and promotion of destination Tanzania.

Likewise, Tanzania Tourist Board thanks all tourism stakeholders for voting for Mount Kilimanjaro and other Tanzania tourism facilities and making them become winners," further reads the statement.

World Travel Awards was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. Today, the World Travel Awards brand is recognized globally as the ultimate hallmark of quality, with winners setting the benchmark to which all others aspire. Each year World Travel Awards covers the globe with a series of regional gala ceremonies staged to recognize and celebrate individual and collective successes within each geographical region.

Cameroon Torches 2,000 Tusks in one of Africa’s Biggest Burnings of Poached Wildlife Goods

YAOUNDE – Some 2,000 illegally trafficked elephant tusks and hundreds of finished ivory products erupted in a ball of fire Tuesday as Cameroon authorities conducted what was believed to be one of the largest burnings of poached wildlife goods in African history.

Setting the pyre aflame in a sandy square in Cameroon’s capital, Samantha Power, America’s U.N. ambassador, joined Cameroon officials in hailing the ceremony as symbolic of their commitment to win the war against illegal smuggling of animal products.

Central Africa’s forest elephants have declined in number by two-thirds between 2002 and 2012. “All of our countries can and must do more,” Power said. The burning sends a clear message, she added, that “the only place ivory belongs and the only value ivory has is on elephants.”

The heap included ivory chess boards, beads, totem poles and even miniature elephant sculptures, all intermixed with the raw tusks. Cameroon officials said the pile totalled 3.5 tons of tusks alone, though that figure couldn't be verified. What’s certain is the merchandise was worth millions of dollars. The pyre will burn for three days.

Philip Ngole Ngwese, Cameroon’s minister of forestry and wildlife, said the seized tusks and ivory, much of which originated abroad, were now “beyond reach.” He also described the human costs of poaching, mourning several guides and park rangers who have been killed in recent years.

Cameroon’s biggest city, Douala, is a port through which much of the region’s trafficked goods transit overseas. Power, on a week long trip to promote the battle against the Muslim extremist group Boko Haram, also met President Paul Biya and other senior Cameroon officials. She announced $40 million in new U.S. humanitarian aid to the region.

The United States has some 200 special operations forces in Cameroon advising and assisting African troops in the fight. Power, making the first trip to the country by a U.S. Cabinet member in a quarter-century, stressed the need for Cameroon soldiers to exercise restraint amid reports they've sometimes targeted civilians.

“Any fight against terrorism has to be comprehensive,” she said, echoing remarks she made in Cameroon’s embattled north on Monday. Political inclusiveness, good governance, economic development and combating extremism at the grass-roots level, she said, “are every bit as critical as one’s military campaign itself.” Smoke billowed from the pyre as the ivory tusks turned black and statuettes smouldered.

Ivory-burning ceremonies aren't a gesture universally appreciated - even in Cameroon. Some wonder why the valuable tusks aren't reused in some capacity, given the elephants are already dead. Echoing such sentiments, one local journalist asked Power why the tusks aren't preserved in museums for future generations that may never see elephants.

“I don’t want to think about contingency plans for if elephants are eliminated from the wild,” Power said.

The event and Power’s participation underscored the Obama administration’s effort to prioritize the fight against wildlife trafficking. In doing so, it is trying to break a multi-billion-dollar criminal industry that officials say sometimes interweaves with drug trafficking and even terrorist enterprises. The U.S. held its own ivory crushes in 2013 and 2015.

In March, a U.S. task force said a “turning point” had been reached in the global endeavour to strengthen enforcement, reduce demand and expand international cooperation. But much ultimately depends on China cracking down, because its citizens are driving global demand.

As a port of exit, Cameroon plays a major role in snuffing out ivory smuggling from Central Africa, where several countries are struggling to assert control over their own territory, and national parks are often poorly protected. Cameroon, too, has suffered from poaching.

Four years ago, armed poaching gangs from Sudan massacred more than half of the elephants in the Bouba Njida National Park in northern Cameroon. The raids highlighted the vulnerability of elephants even in stable African countries. Biya, who is 83, has ruled Cameroon for more than 30 years.

Serena Hotels Named Africa’s top Hotel brand at World Gala

Arusha. Serena Hotels has taken the title of Africa’s leading hotel brand, during the World Travel Awards Africa and Indian Ocean gala ceremony 2016.

The recent red carpet event was hosted by Diamonds La Gemma dell’Est on the northern tip of Zanzibar, with hundreds of industry leaders in attendance. “It was a memorable night for Serena Hotels, East Africa’s leading hotel group, after scooping 12 awards including the top Award, Africa’s Leading Hotel Brand at the 2016 World Travel Awards,” reads the Serena Hotels’ statement. Regarded as the “Oscars” of the travel industry according to the Wall Street Journal, the World Travel Awards acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global tourism and travel industry.

Serena Hotels bagged top honours with Nairobi Serena Hotel named Africa’s Leading Green Hotel. This is the second time that the hotel has won this award, an acknowledgement of the hotel’s and the group’s continued commitment to sustainable business practices.

In Uganda, Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa won the award for Uganda’s Leading Presidential Suite. And now guests staying at Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort and Spa can look forward to a whole new experience with the opening of its state of the art golf course facility, 9-hole soon to 18-hole with spectacular views of Lake Victoria.

In Tanzania, Serena Tanzania stands tall with four awards, with Dar es Salaam Serena Hotel recognized as Tanzania’s Leading Business Hotel, besides the honour of having “Tanzania’s Leading Hotel Suite”. Zanzibar Serena Hotel, in Stone town on the island of Zanzibar is ’Zanzibar‘s Leading Hotel’ and Tanzania’s ‘Leading Boutique Hotel’.

In Rwanda, for the 5th year in a row, Kigali Serena Hotel retained its top position as Rwanda’s Leading Hotel. In Mozambique, the Polana Serena Hotel, one of Maputo’s most majestic architectural gems, won two awards Mozambique’s Leading Hotel as well as Mozambique’s Leading Presidential Suite.

Tanzania: National Parks Now Open for Film Shooting

Arusha — LOCAL artists, especially film actors, producers and music video shooters who for ages have been relying on hiring posh mansions to use as their site locations, need to seek better backgrounds.

The Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), which is the custodian of all the country’s wildlife and National parks, therefore feel it is high time local films and videos get shot within Game and National Parks, to give them a more authentic Tanzanian feel, other than imitating synthetic material things such as modern houses, cars and expensive mobile phone handsets.

The advice was issued by the TANAPA Public Relations Manager, Paschal Shelutete, during a special Sports and Arts Bonanza, which was organized by Artists Association of Arusha. He was representing the Director General of Tanzania National Parks, Allan Kijazi. The bonanza was held at the Sheikh Amri Abeid Memorial Stadium.

“Your films and music videos will sound more believable, interesting and may even attract overseas audience,” pointed out Shelutete.

For years, local artists and film makers have been imitating Nigerian movies in shooting their features inside large mansions, surrounded by limousines and expensive gadgets in a sense of self denial, ignoring some of the attractive landscapes and natural features that Tanzania has in plenty including the 16 national parks, 20 game reserves, natural forests, rivers and mountains.

On his part, Chairman of the Arusha Artists Association, Fredrick Kefas, thanked TANAPA for throwing the park gates open to local artists, promising that changes will soon be noticed as local films start featuring attractive natural settings, wildlife and tourists sites.

“It will also enable local artists play a role in promoting the local tourism industry and sites as well as assisting in educating the mass regarding various locations that are of geographical and historical values,” stated Kefas.

The Chairman of Tanzania Film Federation (TAFF), Simon Mwakifwamba, said his federation was planning to host a Grand National film festival to be held in October this year, with the Prime Minister, Kassim Majaliwa, expected to grace the event, which is likely to be staged in Dar Es Salaam.

“The National Film Festival 2016 will be officially flagged off on April 18 but the climax event is set for October 2016,” said Mwakifwamba, adding that the festival will bring into Tanzania many artists from Africa and around the globe.