MPs urge ministries cooperation to unlock TZ’s tourism potential
DODOMA: THE Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism has been urged to collaborate closely with the Ministry of Home Affairs to promote the country’s tourism market to simplify tourist visa application process.
The directive was made by Chairperson for the Parliamentary Committee on Land, Natural Resources and Tourism, Mr Timotheo Mnzava during a meeting held at the Parliament in Dodoma on Tuesday.
“The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration and Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism should work together to develop the tourism sector. We need you to do more to support this sector, and if there are challenges, you should solve them,” Mr Mnzava said.
He also called on the ministries to align payment systems for tourists and establish strong strategies to identify key tourist markets and attract them to the country, while also simplifying the visa application process for tourists.
ALSO READ: Revisit of Tanzania tourism development
On her side, the Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Dr Pindi Chana assured the committee that her Ministry will work closely with the Ministry of Home Affairs to ensure the growth of the tourism market and support President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s efforts to develop the tourism sector in Tanzania.
“We will ensure that we identify key tourist markets and implement effective strategies to attract tourists through collaboration,” Dr Chana said.
The meeting was attended by various leaders and officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism and its agencies, as well as leaders from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration.
Recently, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said that the government will continue to come up with strategies to strengthen natural resources and tourism sector, as key pillar of the country’s economy.
The PM expressed the commitment during the launch of the Conservation and Tourism Awards held in Arusha.
The awards aimed to foster competition among stakeholders in the country’s natural resources and tourism sector.
ALSO READ: Rising investments in tourism impresses Mwinyi
“The natural resources and tourism sector is a significant source of national income, encompassing various economic activities,” Majaliwa said.
“This sector alone contributes 21.5 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with 17.2 per cent from tourism and 4.3 per cent from forestry and beekeeping,” he said.
He said that the sector generates 30.9 per cent of the country’s foreign exchange earnings, with 25 per cent attributed to tourism and 5.9 per cent to forestry and beekeeping.
Highlighting the achievements under President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan’s leadership, Majaliwa said the sector’s remarkable growth, with international tourist arrivals increasing by 96 per cent from 922,692 in 2021 to 1,808,205 in 2023.
“Our President’s visionary efforts have also resulted in a 68.2 per cent rise in revenue from international tourism, climbing from 2 billion US dollars in 2021 to 3.4 billion US dollars in 2023,” he added.
