Dar es Salaam. The outbreak of coronavirus infection has already adversely impacted the affected hospitality and tourism sectors of the economy as most of the would-be visitors have been forced to cancel already-planned their scheduled tours visit of the country.
This is basically due to fear of contracting the deadly virus on their way, compounded by foreign or travel bans imposed by some world their countries.
Meanwhile, Yesterday, the Revolution Government of Zanzibar banned visitors from Italy from entering the Isles for fear of the coronavirus malady.
The directive was issued by the Health Minister, Mr Hamad Rashid. Several coronavirus cases have been reported in Italy.
Indeed, the government has have confirmed that quite a number of tourists, who were expected to arrive in the country during in the foreseeable near future - and especially with summer virtually just around the corner - and in the summer, have cancelled their plans on the back of the c due to Coronavirus threat.
Speaking on the matter, the Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Tourism and Natural Resources, Mr Costantine Kanyasu, freely admitted that the coronavirus outbreak of Coronavirus has bound to play merry hell with hit hard the tourism business, currently one of Tanzania’s leading foreign currency earner sector.
Mr Kanyasu, who I couldn't disclose any reveal the figures, nonetheless said due to the fact that China has banned its nationals from travelling abroad as a measure to limit the spread of the disease, is a blow to Tanzania’s tourism business sector in the country.
The permanent secretary at the Tourism Ministry, of Tourism and Natural Resources Professor Adolf Mkenda, said if the coronavirus disaster it wouldn't be contained soon, it will seriously impact ‘kill’ tourism not only in Tanzania but also across much of the world.
Prof Mkenda said Tanzania was set to participate in a tourism fair which was slated to be held in Beijing later this year. B but the organisers cancelled the event on account of due the outbreak of coronavirus.
Speaking in the Parliament in April 2019, Prime Minister Mr Kassim Majaliwa revealed that revenues from Tanzania’s tourism sector increased by 7.13 percent % in 2018 compared to 2017. This was largely thanks to considerable the increase in arrivals from foreign visitors, the government disclosed. Tourism and hospitality revenues reached $USD 2.43 billion in 2018 -, up from $USD 2.19 billion in 2017 -, while the number of tourist arrivals totalled 1.49 million in 2018, compared with 1.33 million, in the previous year.
Tanzania’s Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said in a presentation to parliament.
However, hotel operators also claimed that the hospitality industry is bound to have also suffered due to the outbreak of coronavirus, which has already spread to some hit about 51 countries across the world - with, China being the most adversely affected so far.
Yesterday, the Revolution Government of Zanzibar has banned visitor tourists from Italy from entering the Isles for fear of due to the breakdown of Coronavirus malady.
The directive was issued by the Health Minister, Mr Hamad Rashid. Several coronavirus cases have been reported in Italy.
Ms Nuralisa Karamagi of the Tanzania Hotels Association of Tanzania (HAT) Ms Nuralisa Karamagi said the coronavirus outbreak which started in Wuhan, China, is already adversely impacting the travel and hospitality industry not only in Tanzania but across the world.just like in many parts of the World the break of Coronavirus has heavily affected the hospitality and travel industry.
For example, she said, that the total number of the would-be tourists, who had made provisional bookings to tour Tanzania during the summer this year has declined significantly compared to the previous year.
Ms Karamagi revealed that some of the hotels had s reported that a number of tourists, who had made provisional bookings in various hotels in the country ahead of summer, which is tourism high season in the country has dropped by between 40 per cent and 70 per cent compare to last year. This is undoubtedly on account of the coronavirus outbreak which was first reported in China towards the end of December 2019,
“The number of tourists, who had made provision bookings in the same period last year, the hotels have reported the number have dropped by between 40 per cent and 70 per cent due to Coronavirus threat,” said Ms Karamagi said.
To counter the adverse impact, Ms Karamagi said some hotels have been negotiating with prospective tourists those, who had already made travel-cum-hotel the bookings in Tanzania to push back their travelling schedules until the outbreak is effectively contained. She also advised the government and other stakeholders in the sector to do the same.
A former national chairman of the Tanzania Business Community, Mr Johnson Minja, said the outbreak disease has also negatively affected trade in the Kariakoo and other major markets in different metropolises.
According to Mr Minja, him importers have now shifted away from China and to India, Taiwan and Vietnam. However, he noted Mr Minja said that the volumes of cargo imported from that three countries are small and more expensive compare with similar to that imported from China.
“currently there is already a scarcity of commodities at the Kariakoo Central Market in Dar es Salaam because due to the fact we currently aren’t importing much from China due to the coronavirus outbreak,” he said, adding that this is something is worrisome as consumer that the prices will soar if the disease wouldn't effectively be contained soonest,” said Mr Minja.
Due to existing good travel links with China, Tanzania faces a risk of transmission of the coronavirus (code-named ‘COVID-19’), whose epicentre is the Chinese city, Wuhan. The disease has already spread so far affected to 51 countries around the world, and killed more than 3,500 people, while more than 100,000 people have contracted the disease, says WHO.
No comments:
Post a Comment