The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed a remarkable surge in international tourist arrivals in Tanzania, a boost attributed to the impact of the Royal Tour film featuring President Samia Suluhu Hassan. According to the latest data released by NBS, the number of international arrivals in 2023 increased to 1,131,286, marking a significant rise from 900,182 in 2022.
Daniel Masolwa, Director for Economics and Statistics at NBS, shared these statistics during a press conference at NBS headquarters in Dodoma. He noted that this increase of 231,104 visitors, equivalent to 25.7%, was recorded between January and August 2023. Importantly, out of these arrivals, 336,203 visitors entered through Zanzibar, accounting for 31.1% of the total arrivals.
In specific terms, the month of August 2023 saw international arrivals reaching 186,030, compared to 158,049 in the same period in 2022, an increase of 17.7%. The majority of August's international visitors came from Italy (14,986), the USA (14,416), France (11,997), the UK (9,852), and Germany (9,161).
When examining the nationalities of these visitors, the United States led the list with 84,541 arrivals, followed by France (72,009), Germany (57,798), the United Kingdom (51,505), and Italy (51,056). Notably, Kenya topped the list for African countries, contributing 128,753 arrivals, followed by Burundi (69,505), Zambia (38,394), Rwanda (37,269), and Uganda (28,595).
Masolwa emphasized the pivotal role of the tourism sector, contributing 25% to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), providing foreign currency, and generating employment. He urged service providers in the hospitality industry to maintain high-quality services to continue attracting tourists.
The surge in tourism is largely attributed to the impact of the Royal Tour film, a groundbreaking endeavor where President Samia Suluhu Hassan featured prominently. This initiative, launched in New York on April 18, 2022, showcased Tanzania's diverse wildlife, including lions, hyenas, elephants, rhinos, and buffaloes. The film's success has revitalized Tanzania's tourism industry, which earns approximately 2 billion US dollars annually. Tanzania aims to increase its annual tourist numbers to five million by 2025, targeting a revenue collection of 6 billion US dollars from the tourism sector.
For more information, read the latest NBS data here; https://www.nbs.go.tz/nbs/takwimu/Tourism/International_Arrivals_January_August_2023.pdf