Local investor comes up with ten projects in hospitality industry

AS the country’s tourism sector continues to recover from the effects of Covid-19, a local investor increased its investment in the hospitality industry, one of the most important sectors of the economy.

Wellworth Group of Companies, the investor, has ten forthcoming projects that will create around 200 jobs in the country.

The upcoming projects include three ultra luxury products, which are Serengeti Lake Magadi Lodge, Serengeti Grumeti Lodge and Tarangire Lakeview Lodge.

Others are Ngorongoro – Lake Masek/Ndutu, Serengeti Ikorongo Lodge, Ole Serai Luxury Camps in Togoro Plains and Makoma Hills, Serengeti Turner Lodge, the New Embassy Hotel, and the New Hotel AGIP.

Wellworth Group of Companies Director, Zulfikar Ismail told journalists in Dar es Salaam on Thursday about the status of their investment in the country, saying that the total number of hotels they will create in the country over the next two years will rise to 22.

“We own several hotels in mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar; we intend to be a one-of-a-kind company in the country with many hotels. Our company is entirely owned and operated by Tanzanians,” he said.

He added, “Our hotel types range from beach resorts to safari lodges to regular hotels. Some hotels are open, while others are under construction, we anticipate that some of the hotels named will be operational by the beginning of next year.”

Mr Ismail commended President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s response to the Covid-19 outbreak, spiced up by the Royal Tour documentary, which has significantly helped to generate income in the tourism sector.

Wellworth owns the projects of Kunduchi water parks, Zanzibar Beach resort, Oldeani Ngorongoro Mountain Lodge Ltd, Lake Manyara Kilimamoja Lodge Ltd, Oleserai Luxury Camp (Moru Kopjes – Serengeti, Oleserai Luxury Camp (Tarna Springs – Serengeti) and Whispering Palm Resort Zanzibar.

Others are Motel Agip, Embassy Hotel, Mikumi Wildlife Lodge, and several other projects with a total value of 200,000,000 US dollars, equivalent to more than 469.3bn/-.

According to Saimon Nguka, the group’s Legal and Administration Officer, through the investment, they have provided 525 jobs and contributed to the national income in various ways.

“For the past three years from 2020, 2021 and 2022, we have contributed through the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) alone, a total of 2,742,798 US dollars, equivalent to 6.5bn/- through the hotels and tourist lodges we own,” said Mr Nguka.

Mr Nguka said other hotels under renovation and construction include Kunduchi Beach Hotel, Zanzibar Beach Resort, Serengeti Lake Magadi Lodge, Mikumi Wildlife Lodge, and Zanzibar Whispering Palms.

Tanzania has recorded an increase of 48.8 per cent in tourists in a period between January and February this year compared to the number of visitors recorded in the same period in 2022.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Acting Director of Economic Statistics, Daniel Msolwa, said that between January and February this year, the country received 290,896 tourists, equivalent to 48.8 per cent compared to the 195,483 visitors who entered the country last year.

He said that of all the tourists, a total of 114,169 visitors, or 32 per cent, entered the country through Zanzibar.

Mr Msolwa said that the ever-increasing number of international visitors is attributed to various reasons, including the lifting of Covid-19 lockdown by most countries and the continued government’s effort to promote tourism attractions within and outside the country, including through the Royal Tour documentary.