AICC new boss vows to heighten conference tourism

AICC New Boss Ms. Christine Mwakatobe

ARUSHA: THE Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC) new Managing Director, Christine Mwakatobe has outlined her priorities saying her focus will be to ensure AICC and Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNICC) continue to be the centres of choice for conference tourism in the country.

She gave the remarks yesterday in Arusha during the handover ceremony of office between her and former AICC Managing Director, Mr Ephraim Mafuru who was appointed by President Samia Suluhu Hassan as new Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) Director General.

Mwakatobe vowed to continue implementing the AICC five-year Strategic Plan which among other things aims at making Tanzania a first-choice destination in Africa for conference tourism and conference services. In order to achieve it, she promised to cooperate with the AICC’s Board of Directors, management, staff and stakeholders in the tourist industry including TTB, Tanapa, KADCO/KIA, Tantrade and others.

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“Among the things I promise to do during my stay here as AICC Managing Director is to ensure we find new sources of revenue for our centre and the government, to implement development projects which are already in the pipeline and to improve the way we serve our customers for providing them the services that meet their expectations, “she said She added:

“I will also ensure provision of dividends and improve staff’s wellbeing”. She said Mr Mafuru has taken her through the AICC’s five-year Strategic Plan which she promised to implement to ensure government targets are achieved.“

So, I am grateful to President Samia Suluhu Hassan for her confidence in me, and I promise not to let her down. I also thank my friend Mafuru for the good job he has done at AICC,” she noted.

On his side, former AICC Managing Director, Mr Mafuru who is now TTB Director General said that in a period of one year as AICC boss, in cooperation with the management, his fellow staff and AICC Board managed to promote the country through conference tourism.

Mr Mafuru said during one year at AICC, they managed to implement economic diplomacy policy by hosting big international conferences like the Africa Human Capital Heads of State Summit and Africa Food Systems Forum (AGRF) at Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNICC) in Dar es Salaam and other international meetings at AICC last year.

“We have done a lot within a short time for the interests of the nation. We managed to remove this institution from loss making for over five years, but in a period of one year we moved from loss making to profit centre,” said Mr Mafuru Mr Mafuru has promised to work closely with the AICC for the purpose of boosting the business.