Mwinyi tasks new envoys to aggressively market TZ
ZANZIBAR: ZANZIBAR President, Dr Hussein Mwinyi on Wednesday tasked the newly appointed Tanzanian envoys abroad to aggressively promote Tanzania’s investment opportunities and tourism attractions.
President Mwinyi said Zanzibar in particular has huge demand for strategic investors in the blue economy in its five components – tourism; fishing and fish farming; port; oil and gas; as well as marine transport.
“Let’s go and work seriously in exploring economic opportunities for the country. Our hopes are that you will help in promoting Zanzibar and her tourism attractions,” Dr Mwinyi told the envoys who had paid him a courtesy call at Vuga-based State House here.
He challenged Tanzania’s new representatives abroad to work hard in advancing the country’s policy of economic diplomacy.
Dr Mwinyi demanded new efforts to market tourism attractions as well as exploring new markets.
“Traditionally, Zanzibar had been marketing beach and heritage tourism, it’s high time we shifted to conference and sports tourism,” he said.
While Zanzibar’s traditional markets are America and Europe, the president proposed more efforts to win new markets, especially in Asia, citing China as the most promising.
“The Chinese are many, have financial muscles and travel a lot as well,” he said, insisting that tourism is key to Zanzibar economy, with about 30 per cent contribution to gross domestic product.
The president asked the new ambassadors to scout for prospective investors, saying Zanzibar has huge investment opportunities in the blue economy and its allied sub-sectors.
Tanzania’s Ambassador to China Khamis Mussa Omar said the envoys have received President Mwinyi’s directives and that they are determined to work on them for the social and economic betterment of the country.
The envoys had visited the Zanzibar State House for self-introduction as well as to receive directives and bid farewell to President Mwinyi.
The other ambassadors in the delegation were: Ambassador Hassan Mwamweta to Germany and Bulgaria, Czech, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Switzerland; Ambassador Habibu Awesu Muhamed to Qatar and Ambassador Mohamed Juma to Saudi Arabia; Imani Njikai to Algeria.
Ambassador Major General Ramson Mwaisaka to Egypt; Ambassador Gelasius Byakanwa to Burundi and Ambassador Dr Benard Kibesse to Kenya were other ambassadors who bid farewell to Dr Mwinyi.
The eight ambassadors were sworn in by Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan, on August 16, this year following their appointment in May, this year.
In another development, Dr Mwinyi on Wednesday held talks with Chief of the Army Staff of India, General Manoj Pande and his delegation, when they paid him a courtesy call at the State House in Zanzibar.
Dr Mwinyi told the delegation that Zanzibar is committed to continue strengthening good relations with India in various areas including trade, technology, social services as well as peace and security.
He said the Indian Consulate in Zanzibar has been working closely with the government in implementation of various development projects supported by the Asian nation.
On his part, General Pande hailed Zanzibar for establishing IIT Madras campus. The IIT Madras, one of the top-ranked educational institute in India, has become the first IIT to launch an international campus in the country.
General Pande arrived in the country on Monday for a four-day visit in the country.
Tanzania and India mutually share over five decades of relations in economic, social and political development rooted with the struggle for Independence from which, the latter provided both moral and material support in the country.
From the 1960s to the 1980s, the political relationship involved shared commitments to anti-colonialism, non-alignment as well as South-South Cooperation and close cooperation in international fora.
Furthermore, the Father of the Nation, Mr Julius Nyerere was held in high esteem in India and conferred the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding for 1974 and the International Gandhi Peace Prize for 1995.
