Tanzania's tourism sector experienced remarkable growth last year, achieving significant increases in both revenue and visitor numbers, propelled by the robust economic recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the monthly economic review for December 2023 by the Bank of Tanzania, tourism receipts soared by an impressive 37.5 percent to reach 3.3 billion USD in the year leading up to November 2023. Concurrently, the number of tourist arrivals saw a substantial rise of 27 percent, reaching 1.797 million.
"The surge in travel receipts reflects the rebound of the tourism sector as tourist arrivals rose by 27 percent to 1.797 million," noted the report.
Tanzania's tourism industry has now claimed the top spot as the country's leading foreign exchange earner, surpassing gold. Gold brought in 3 billion USD in revenue for the year ending November 2023, up from the 2.8 billion USD earned the previous year.
Comparatively, in 2019, Tanzania earned 2.526 billion USD in tourism receipts, with 1,527,230 tourists visiting the country. The aftermath of the global travel restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020 saw travel receipts plunge to 1 billion USD, accompanied by a significant drop in tourist arrivals to 616,490.
Since then, the industry has successfully bounced back, aligning with official projections. Looking forward, the government has set an ambitious target of welcoming at least 5 million tourists and generating $6 billion in receipts by the year 2025.
While tourism stakeholders foresee a promising future, they emphasize the need for strategic measures to be implemented by both the government and the private sector to unlock Tanzania's full tourism potential in the coming years.
"The current situation augurs well for tourism. The future looks promising," remarked Kennedy Edward, Chief Executive of the Hotel Association of Tanzania (HAT), expressing optimism about the industry's trajectory.
Edward applauded the positive cultural shift among Tanzanians, highlighting that they are increasingly utilizing their disposable incomes to explore local attractions. He further emphasized that this culture change, coupled with population growth and rising awareness, bodes well for the tourism sector.
In addition, Edward conveyed his confidence in ongoing tourism marketing campaigns and other measures aimed at positioning Tanzania as a preferred tourist destination, expecting these efforts to attract even more visitors in the future.