Tanzania certifies Rio Ferdinand to promote its natural attractions  

ARUSHA: THE MINISTER for Natural Resources and Tourism, Dr Ashatu Kijaji, has met and held talks with former Manchester United star, Rio Ferdinand in Arusha and presented him with a special certificate as a sign of appointing him as the Voluntary Ambassador for Natural Resources and Tourism in Tanzania.

During the talks, Dr Kijaji said that Rio Ferdinand’s presence in Tanzania is a major catalyst for the growth of the country’s tourism sector due to his great influence in the world.

She said that Rio Ferdinand has more than 20 million followers on his social media pages, which will help promote Tanzania and its tourism attractions to more people in the world.

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“Recognizing the importance of Rio’s visit to the country, we have come up with this certificate today and are appointing him as the Voluntary Ambassador for Tourism in Tanzania,” said Dr Kijaji.

In addition, Dr Kijaji spoke about the efforts of President Samia in promoting Tanzania internationally through the tourism sector.

She said these efforts have continued to bear fruit, with approximately 5.9 million tourists having visited Tanzania to date, with the sector’s revenue reaching 4.4bn US dollars.

For his part, the Minister for Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Paul Makonda, has commended Dr Kijaji for the great work he is doing in promoting tourism in the country, including the step of appointing Rio Ferdinand as Tanzania’s tourism ambassador.