The Travel and Tourism report on Tanzania noted that the country posted a revenue of USD 2178.0 from arrivals in 2017.
The the number grew by 9.5%, last year and the country is expected to attract some 1,347,000 international tourist arrivals this year. Travel and Tourism attracted capital investment of USD 318 million in 2017 which rose by 8.2% in 2018, and will continue to rise by 6.4% pa over the next ten years to USD 639 million come 2028.
According to the “African insights: Hotels outlook 2017-21” report published in 2016, Hotel occupancy and Average Daily Rates (ADR) are set to continue to climb over the next five years thanks to rising tourist arrivals. Both the government and private sector are seeking increased investment in the sector to meet growing demand and the diversification of the tourism sector.
“The sector will desperately need more accommodation space, including beach-front five-star hotels and lodges, but also to support large 3000-5000 visitor forums like exhibitions and conferences,” Jumanne Maghembe, then-minister of natural resources and tourism told press.
Barley a year after a delegation of French investors representing some 31 companies visited Tanzania, France has chosen Tanzania to be the first East African country to host its prestigious Goût de France. Hyatt Regency in Dar es Salaam Tanzania hosted the French Gastronomy Cuisine Festival on the 21st March themed around sustainability and green economies.
French ambassador to Tanzania, Mr Frédéric Clavier described the event as a sign of growing French-Tanzania relations.
“It celebrates and acknowledges the huge economic role played by the catering and hospitality industry,” he said.
He was keen to point out that gastronomy creates employment in the tourism and hospitality industries which are both key sectors for Tanzania as a major tourist destination. In fact Tanzania’s tourism sector represents over 12% of the country’s total employment. In this regard, as part of the French Cuisine celebration, some 30 Tanzanian chefs will get training under Chef Francois Lucchesi, who is among a delegation of French experts who have come to Tanzania to celebrate the event.
To meet the class and standards of the event the French Embassy has chosen to work with the global brand of excellence in catering and hospitality Hyatt Regency bringing to tropical East Africa, a taste of French cuisine. Addressing a media conference held mid-week in Dar es Salaam, Hyatt Regency General Manager Paris Etoile expressed his enthusiasm and readiness to host the fifth edition of the gourmet festival.
The Case Of Zanzibar:
As for Zanzibar alone, in 2018, some 433,474 tourists visited the island, while there are no readily available accounts of what percentage of those were from France, it is safe to assume that a good number were French. As is the case for the mainland, the tourism sector is a major source of employment giving jobs to more than 72,000 Zanzibarians, according to government statistics. The sector also brings in over 80 percent of the island’s foreign exchange and represents a quarter of Zanzibar’s GDP.
Last year, Zanzibar’s Minister for Information, Tourism and Heritage Mr. Mahmoud Thabit Kombo said they expect more than 500 000 tourists, hitting the mark a year before planned. a lot higher than the forecasted; the ruling party, Chama Cha Mapinduzi’s 2015-2020 Manifesto projected the half million number would be attained in 2020.
The minister said tourism in Zanzibar is growing at an impressive rate of 12 percent each year and as such, it is boosting the catering and hospitality sector each year.
“We need 5,000 more rooms to cater for high demand,” he told the press. That is good news for hotel and lodge investors as well as catering businesses.
