Minister attributes increase of tourists to ongoing efforts

ARUSHA: MINISTER for Natural Resources and Tourism, Ms Angellah Kairuki, has attributed the recent increase in number of tourists to ongoing efforts to promote tourist attractions in the country.

Ms Kairuki said the government’s efforts led by President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan has made the number of tourists to increase significantly.

Ms Kairuki made the statement while opening this year’s Karibu-Kilifair Tourism exhibition held at Kisongo grounds in Arusha Region.

Ms Kairuki said that in 2022, Tanzania through President Samia initiated the TanzaniaRoyal Tour programme to bolster the promotion of Tanzania’s tourist attractions, which in combination with other marketing endeavours, yielded a significant upsurge in international arrivals. S

he noted that tourists’ arrivals went up from 922,692 tourists in 2021 to 1,808,205 tourists in 2023, marking a notable increase of 95.9 per cent.

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She further said that the count of domestic tourists surged from 788,933 in 2021 to 1,985,707 in 2023, denoting a substantial rise of 151.7 per cent.

“I want to express my appreciation to President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan for her exceptional dedication to advancing the tourism sector through initiatives such as the Royal Tour and the recent launch of the Amazing Tanzania film in Beijing, China.

These efforts underscore her strong commitment to promoting Tanzania’s tourism industry on the global stage,” she said.

According to her, the tourism sector remained a pillar of the country’s economic growth as it contributed more than 17 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 25 per cent of the total export earnings.

“The sector’s achievements can be attributed to the improved business climate for both domestic and foreign investors and the collaboration between the government and private sector on matters relating to tourism,” she added.

However, she commended the Karibu Kilifair management team for their support in improving the tourism sector through that annual event which contributed greatly in marketing Tanzania and its tourist attractions worldwide.

Ms Kairuki stressed that their commitment to supporting the government’s initiatives in promoting Tanzanian tourism is commendable.