How Royal Tour lifted conference tourism at AICC, JNICC

TANZANIA: PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has made great efforts in driving conference tourism, conference services, and leisure tourism.

One notable effort was the launching of the Royal Tour Film at Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC) in Arusha.

“The move has enabled us to start hosting a good number of international conferences at AICC and Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNICC) in Dar es Salaam,” according to AICC Senior Public Relations Officer, Mr Freddy Maro.

Mr Maro made remarks when he highlighted the successes that the AICC has achieved during the three years of President Samia’s reign.

He disclosed that despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, which affected the whole world, including Tanzania, from 2019 to 2021, AICC and JNICC are proud of the tremendous achievements they have made during the last three years under President Samia.

He said that Covid-19 affected conference tourism and conference services globally, as well as in Tanzania.

However, he commended the measures taken by the six-phase government under President Dr. Samia, who steered and launched the Royal Tour Film.

This initiative positively impacted the tourism sector, including leisure tourism, conference tourism, and conference services in the country.

The launching of the Royal Tour Film was held at the AICC’s Simba Plenary Hall on April 22, 2022. The film, which aimed at promoting Tanzania’s distinctive attractions in the global tourism market to attract more visitors and investments in the country, also boosted conference tourism and conference services at AICC and JNICC.

Following its launch, JNICC and AICC started witnessing a significant increase in the number of international meetings.

Mr. Maro cited the Africa Human Capital Heads of State Summit held from July 25-26 and the Africa Food Systems Forum (AGRF) held from September 5-8 at JNICC in Dar es Salaam last year as among the international conferences held in Tanzania as a result of President Samia’s efforts.

Chairperson of the AICC’s Board of Directors, Ambassador Begum Taj, stated in the AICC Annual Report (2021/22) that the provision of conference services is the AICC’s core business.

She noted that AICC also operates and manages JNICC in Dar es Salaam, rents offices at the headquarters complex, and 627 housing units.

Regarding the successes, she said that AICC has made a number of achievements during the three years of President Samia.

Ambassador Taj revealed in the report that AICC recorded increased revenue of 14.6bn/- in the year ended June 2022 compared to 11.4bn/- in the financial year 2020/21, which is an increase of 29 percent.

“The Centre also participated in various international trade fairs and exhibitions to market and seek a strategic partner to implement the Mount Kilimanjaro International Convention Centre Project (MKICC),” she says.

Ambassador Taj further stated that the Centre’s intention and plans were to enhance business tourism in the country and contribute significantly to the country’s economy, improve the Centre’s corporate image, and make AICC a leading MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) destination in Africa.

Again, the AICC former Managing Director, Mr. Ephraim Mafuru, commended the achievements they have received during the three years since Dr. Samia was sworn in as the President of the United Republic of Tanzania in March 2021.

Mr Mafuru disclosed that during the three years of President Samia in power, AICC has continued to perform its core function by providing conference services and other services such as renting office spaces, housing units, and providing health services through its medium-sized 32-bed hospital in Arusha.

“The management commits to revise and implement the Centre’s strategic plan to make it relevant to the current market trend and ensure that AICC becomes a leading MICE destination in Africa,” said Mr Mafuru.

The AICC annual report further indicates that during the three years of President Samia, the Centre hosted a total of 420 meetings, of which 106 meetings were held at AICC, out of which 99 were local, six regional, and one international meeting.

On the other hand, JNICC hosted 314 meetings, out of which 300 were local, seven regional, and seven international meetings.

“A total of 84,741 delegates were hosted, of which 29,080 were served at AICC and 55,661 at JNICC,” noted the report.

The Centre has further revealed that there was a 50 percent increase in the number of meetings with a 37 percent increase in attendee days compared to the same period in the financial year 2020/2021.

Elaborating, Mr. Maro said that the figures are meaningful not only to AICC but also to the economy of the country due to the effects it has on different business groups.

He said that for the AGRF meeting to host about 5,000 delegates at JNICC last year means that the delegates came with foreign currencies that they spent on acquiring different services like accommodation, food, transport, and bought some gifts for their families.

By doing so, the country received foreign currency, which is important for the growth of the economy and the prosperity of local businesses.

Some of the delegates also visited tourist attractions or considered coming back with their families in the future to visit them.

“These are the achievements of the three years of President Samia’s reign. We commend the President (Samia) for investing in business tourism, which is a catalyst for our economy. She has made our Centres (AICC and JNICC) reputable,” Mr. Maro pointed out.

Furthermore, business tourism at AICC has also contributed to the prosperity of Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA), which is located between Kilimanjaro and Meru Mountains.

This was due to the fact that AICC delegates used the airport for their arrivals and departures, as the airport is an important gateway for leisure tourism.

Since success is sometimes accompanied by hurdles, Mr. Maro highlighted that AICC faces stiff competition from neighboring countries like Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, and Ethiopia, where conference centers with bigger capacity have also been established.

He said that Kenya has constructed Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Rwanda has constructed Kigali Convention Centre, and Ethiopia has done the same.

He noted that modern convention centers typically have a higher capacity of accommodating up to 3,000 people at once, while AICC Simba Plenary Hall has the capacity to accommodate only 1,300 people at once, and JNICC Selous Plenary Hall has the capacity to accommodate only 1,003 people at once.

He said the challenges are being addressed to ensure that Tanzania remains the home and center of conference services, conference tourism, and business tourism.

The AICC was established in 1978 following the collapse of the then East African Community.

The Centre was established for the purpose of enhancing conference tourism and diplomacy tourism and is fully owned by the government.

The Centre also owns more than 600 houses and a dispensary.