Tourism in the North hits record high

ARUSHA: THE northern tourism circuit continues to lead, driving strong growth in visitor arrivals and tourism earnings, backed by active government and private sector promotion.

The Northern tourism zone remained the most visited area in the country’s national parks and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, generating 115.5bn/- in the year ending March.

This represented an 8.8 per cent increase compared with last March, driven largely by non-resident visitors who contributed 61.0bn/-, while entry fees and other charges also posted solid gains. The Lake zone followed as the second-largest contributor, with earnings of 41.5bn/- in March.

“This improved performance was backed by ongoing promotional efforts from the government and the private sector,” BoT Consolidated Zonal Economic Performance Report However, growth was more subdued at 10.8 per cent yearon-year, and receipts from resident visitors fell sharply by 59.8 per cent, showing a heavier reliance on international tourists.

The Central zone registered robust growth, with collections rising 43.4 per cent to 2.7bn/-, supported by higher entry fees and a surge in other fees, which nearly doubled.

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Similarly, the South Eastern zone earned 3.3bn/-, marking an 8.3 per cent increase, even though non-resident receipts dipped slightly.

In contrast, the Southern Highlands zone showed mixed performance. While non-resident earnings rose by 7.9 per cent, resident collections dropped by nearly half and overall revenues stood at 1.4bn/-, lower than in last December but still above last March levels.

Overall, total earnings across all zones reached 164.3bn/- at the end of March, up 10.3 per cent year-on-year. Non-residents remained the mainstay of the sector, contributing 87.3bn/-, while revenues from residents grew by 60.9 per cent, reflecting a gradual strengthening of domestic tourism.

Meanwhile, the northern parks remain the main draw for visitors, accounting for more than 70 per cent of arrivals even as total tourist numbers across all zones grew 5.5 per cent to 538,147. International tourists continue to dominate, making up about 70 per cent of all visitors.

The northern zone recorded a 12.3 per cent rise in total visitors, led by non-residents. Central zone also saw strong growth (+43 per cent), while Lake, South Eastern and Southern Highlands zones experienced declines in overall visitor numbers.

Resident visitor numbers across the country remained largely flat (-0.3 per cent), showing the reliance on international arrivals for growth.