How Tanzania, Mozambique can build a regional tourism corridor

DAR ES SALAAM: AS Tanzania advances its economic diplomacy agenda, tourism is emerging as a strategic area for deeper cooperation with neighbouring Mozambique.

In the 11th part of this Daily News Diplomatic Bench Interview series, Tanzania’s High Commissioner to Mozambique, CP Hamad Khamis, explains how closer tourism cooperation between the two countries could expand investment, create jobs, increase foreign-exchange earnings and strengthen regional integration by linking complementary destinations across East and Southern Africa.

CP Khamis says the two countries should make better use of their geographical proximity and complementary tourism assets to develop integrated travel experiences that benefit both economies.

“Mozambique is not among Tanzania’s largest source markets for international tourists,” the High Commissioner says, “but it possesses significant untapped potential owing to its geographical proximity, growing middle class, expanding business community and increasing regional mobility.”

The opportunity, he adds, extends beyond Mozambican travellers. Mozambique attracts international visitors from Portugal, South Africa and other markets, creating an opportunity to encourage some of them to extend their trips to Tanzania if regional connectivity and tourism packages are improved.

The High Commissioner’s remarks come as both countries pursue greater regional integration through initiatives including the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which are expected to facilitate the movement of people, goods and services across borders.

Tanzania is internationally recognised for its wildlife safaris, Mount Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar’s beaches, but the High Commissioner says the tourism market is changing, creating opportunities to diversify the country’s offering.

“Demand is increasingly shifting beyond traditional leisure tourism towards business travel, medical tourism, educational travel, conferences, sports events and cultural experiences,” he says.

“This creates opportunities for Tanzania to market itself not only as a wildlife destination but also as a diversified tourism hub serving multiple travel segments.” He says Tanzania has a broad range of tourism products capable of attracting different categories of visitors from Mozambique.

The Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Mount Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar remain key attractions for leisure travellers, while Dar es Salaam, Dodoma and Arusha are increasingly important for conferences, exhibitions and business events.

Medical tourism also presents an emerging opportunity “Residents of northern Mozambique already seek specialised healthcare services in southern Tanzania, particularly at Mtwara Zonal Referral Hospital,” the High Commissioner says.

“As Tanzania continues investing in specialised healthcare facilities, there is considerable potential to expand medical tourism to patients from across Mozambique.” Educational tourism is another area of potential growth, with Tanzanian universities and professional training institutions attracting students from neighbouring countries.

Religious tourism, cultural heritage and community-based tourism could similarly attract visitors through historical sites, museums, cultural festivals and other heritage attractions.

The High Commissioner says Tanzania and Mozambique should avoid competing for the same visitors and instead market their destinations as complementary parts of a wider regional tourism experience.

“Rather than competing for tourists, Tanzania and Mozambique should position themselves as complementary destinations offering a complete East and Southern African tourism experience,” he says.

Under such an approach, Tanzania’s wildlife and mountain tourism could be combined with Mozambique’s Indian Ocean coastline, marine attractions and island destinations, including the Bazaruto and Quirimbas archipelagos.

The High Commissioner says integrated packages could encourage visitors to stay longer in the region and increase tourism receipts in both countries.

Achieving this, however, would require coordination among tourism authorities, airlines, tour operators and private-sector players to develop joint itineraries, align marketing efforts and improve travel logistics.

Governments, he says, also have a role in establishing bilateral tourism cooperation arrangements, while financial institutions and development partners could support joint marketing initiatives and investment in cross-border tourism infrastructure.

Despite the potential, the High Commissioner identifies transport connectivity as one of the main obstacles to expanding tourism flows between the two countries. “Connectivity remains one of the most important factors influencing tourism flows,” he says.

He gives priority to improving direct air links between Maputo and Tanzania’s major tourism gateways, including Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro and Arusha. Reliable air services, he says, would shorten travel times and make Tanzania more accessible to Mozambican travellers as well as international visitors entering the region through Mozambique.

Road connectivity also requires continued improvement, particularly through better border infrastructure, simplified immigration procedures and more efficient customs clearance.

“Road connectivity should continue to improve through better border infrastructure, simplified immigration procedures and efficient customs clearance at major crossing points,” he says.

The High Commissioner also sees potential for expanding maritime transport along the Indian Ocean coast as security conditions improve. Digital systems could further simplify cross-border travel.

He points to electronic visas, integrated payment systems, online tourism information and coordinated destination marketing as measures that could make travel planning easier and improve the visitor experience.

“Improved transport and border facilitation would not only support tourism but also strengthen trade, investment and broader regional integration,” he says.

Expanding Tanzania’s tourism offering While wildlife and beach tourism will remain central to Tanzania’s tourism industry, the High Commissioner says there is scope to develop additional products capable of attracting new categories of visitors.

“Greater emphasis can be placed on conference and business tourism by promoting modern convention facilities in Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Dodoma,” he says.

He also identifies sports tourism, cultural festivals, archaeological and historical sites, religious tourism and educational tourism as areas with significant potential.

The Southern Tourism Circuit, in particular, could play a larger role in diversifying Tanzania’s tourism offering. “The Southern Tourism Circuit—including Nyerere National Park, Ruaha National Park, Mikumi National Park and the southern coastal regions—offers world-class experiences with comparatively lower visitor congestion,” he says.

The High Commissioner says these destinations should complement rather than replace Tanzania’s established tourism attractions.

“These products should encourage longer visitor stays and higher tourism spending,” he says.

Tourism as an investment opportunity Tourism cooperation also presents investment opportunities for businesses in both countries. The High Commissioner says Mozambican investors bring experience in coastal hospitality, resort development and tourism services that could support the growth of Tanzania’s tourism industry.

Potential areas include beach resorts, boutique hotels, eco-lodges near national parks, marinas, conference facilities, entertainment centres, tour operations, hospitality training institutions and supporting transport and logistics infrastructure.

“Joint ventures between Tanzanian and Mozambican investors can accelerate knowledge transfer, increase investment flows and strengthen regional tourism value chains,” he says.

He stresses that tourism development cannot be driven by governments alone. “Tourism development requires coordinated action across both the public and private sectors,” the High Commissioner says.

He points to joint destination marketing, coordinated participation in international tourism fairs, business-to-business networking, familiarisation visits for tour operators and media, and the development of integrated tourism products as areas for cooperation.

Airlines also have an important role, he says, particularly through code-sharing arrangements and improved flight schedules.

Hospitality operators and travel associations could complement these efforts by promoting cross-border tourism packages.

Regular dialogue and stronger institutional partnerships, he adds, would help both countries build sustainable tourism value chains benefiting businesses, communities and visitors.

Building a regional tourism corridor Although formal joint tourism programmes remain limited, the High Commissioner says business forums, investment promotion initiatives and cross-border trade missions already demonstrate the potential for deeper cooperation.

The growing movement of Mozambican patients seeking specialised healthcare services in Tanzania, particularly in the southern regions, also illustrates the potential for medical tourism between the two countries.

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Looking ahead, he identifies several priorities for attracting more Mozambican travellers to Tanzania. They include improving direct air connectivity, simplifying visa and border procedures, promoting Tanzania through Mozambican media and digital platforms, developing Portuguese-language tourism materials, encouraging joint tourism investment, strengthening security cooperation and expanding multi-destination packages across SADC and East Africa.

The High Commissioner links the agenda to Dira 2050 (Development Vision 2050), which seeks to build a competitive, diversified and resilient economy.

“As Tanzania advances Development Vision 2050, regional tourism will become an increasingly important pillar of Tanzania’s long-term development agenda,” he says.

“Vision 2050 seeks to build a competitive, diversified and resilient economy, and tourism will contribute significantly by generating employment, attracting investment, earning foreign exchange and supporting industrial development.” He says closer cooperation with Mozambique could stimulate investment in transport, hospitality, infrastructure and supporting services while creating opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Ultimately, the High Commissioner views regional tourism as an instrument not only for economic development but also for strengthening relations between neighbouring countries.

“It promotes cultural understanding, strengthens people-to-people ties and reinforces diplomatic relations between neighbouring countries,” he says.

With stronger transport links, coordinated investment and closer publicprivate cooperation, he believes Tanzania and Mozambique can turn their geographical proximity into a competitive regional tourism advantage.

“Ultimately, Tanzania and Mozambique have an opportunity to transform their shared geography into a competitive regional tourism corridor that links East and Southern Africa.”

“By integrating tourism with transport, trade, investment and cultural cooperation, both countries can build a more sustainable, inclusive and globally competitive tourism economy that delivers long-term benefits for their peoples.”