TZ among Africa’s top tourism investment destinations

EGYPT: TANZANIA has emerged as one of Africa’s leading destinations for tourism investment, with a new global report showing the country continues to outperform many nations on the continent in attracting capital into the sector.

The findings are contained in the latest report by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), titled Travel and Tourism Economic Impact 2025, unveiled during the council’s conference aboard the Crystal Cruises ship docked at the Port of Alexandria, Egypt, on Saturday.

According to the report, Tanzania and South Africa recorded the highest levels of tourism investment inflows in Africa, both ranking above the global average.

Presenting the report, WTTC Chief Executive Officer, Gloria Guevara said the tourism sector continues to play a critical role in economic growth and social development despite ongoing global challenges.

“This report shows that tourism’s contribution to economic growth and people’s development is significant compared to many other sectors. Governments across the world should therefore prioritise the industry,” she said.

According to the report, the global tourism sector contributed 10.3 per cent to the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2025, equivalent to 11.7 trillion US dollars.

Ms Guevara also pledged continued cooperation with the Tanzanian government to further increase tourism’s contribution to the economy and expand employment opportunities for Tanzanians.

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The report projects that the sector’s global contribution will rise to 16 trillion US dollars by 2035, while tourism-related employment is expected to increase from 371 million jobs to 471 million jobs over the same period.

For Africa, the report shows that South Africa led tourism investment inflows with 7.7 per cent, followed closely by Tanzania at 7.4 per cent, both well above the global average of 3.8 per cent.

The report also identified Tanzania, South Africa and Kenya among Africa’s top-performing countries in visitor exports, reflecting strong tourist spending on locally purchased goods taken abroad.

Speaking after the conference, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Dr Hassan Abbasi, said the findings highlight Tanzania’s growing competitiveness in the global tourism market.

Meanwhile, former Argentine President Mauricio Macri, former Mexican President Felipe Calderón and former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi shared experiences on how their governments initially underestimated the tourism sector before later recognising its economic importance.

Speaking during a panel discussion on tourism’s role in times of global uncertainty, the former leaders said tourism eventually became one of the pillars of their national economies after governments gave the sector greater priority.

They urged current leaders and policymakers worldwide to continue supporting tourism, describing it as a major driver of economic growth, job creation and social development.