The Tanzanian tourism sector plays a significant role in the Tanzanian economy. In 2014 alone tourism generated around USD 2 billion which constitutes 25% of Tanzania’s foreign exchange earnings, it is at the forefront of the contribution to the country’s economy representing 17% of Tanzania’s GDP in 2014, and directly employs around 600,000 people and up to 2 million people indirectly.
The Tanzanian tourism offer counts with one of the richest wildlife, 6 world heritage sites and exotic beaches in the world.
Tanzania’s wildlife resources are considered among the finest in the world and include the Serengeti plains which hosts the largest terrestrial mammal migration in the world, the Ngorongoro Crater, the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera and home to the highest density of big game in Africa, and Africa’s highest mountain Kilimanjaro.
Tanzania received a record 1.1 million international visitor arrivals in 2014, mostly from Europe, the US and Africa, versus 582,807 in 2004, increasing at a rate of around 10% per annum.
This is also the result of the Tanzanian government strategies and policies that have been introduced the last 20 years to improve and develop the Tanzania tourism sector, establish the country as a prime safari and beach destination in Africa and raise the sector’s contribution to the country’s outcome.
According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) the direct contribution of Travel & Tourism to the Tanzanian GDP was TZS 2,975.6 billions or 5.1% of total GDP in 2014.
During the same period the total contribution was TZS 8,252.7 billions or 14.0% of Tanzania’s GDP.
Travel & Tourism directly supported 467,000 jobs or 4.3% of total employment in Tanzania and 12.2% of total employment with 1,337,000 jobs.
Tanzania currently ranks in 109th position in the world in terms of Travel & Tourism Competitiveness with a score of 3.46 and with Switzerland topping the list with a score of 5.66 according to WTTC.
In the Sub Saharan region, Tanzania ranks 12th with Seychelles leading the group with a punctuation of 4.51.
Tanzania also ranks 82nd out of 184 countries in terms of travel and tourism sector size according to WTTC, and ranks 9th in terms of the sector’s long-term growth.
By 2025, Tanzania’s tourism sector is expected to grow at a rate of 6.2% per annum, against an expected world average growth of 3.7% according to WTTC.
Table Of Contents:
History Of Tanzanian Tourism
Tanzania Tourism Offer
Tanzania Geography And Climate
Tanzania Tourism Products
Tanzania Tourism Circuits
Hunting In Tanzania
Tanzania Tourism Infrastructure
Tanzania Tourism Statistics
Economic Relevance Of Tanzania’s Tourism
Tanzania Tourism Policy & Strategy
Investment Opportunities In Tourism In Tanzania
History Of Tanzanian Tourism: Explorers & Sultans
The history of Tanzania’s tourism goes back more than 200 years, when in the early 1800s the Europeans started to travel to this region tempted by stories of wealthy sultans and prosperous merchants of ivory and gold.
Then under British colonial rule, the Tanzanian tourism catered to a niche market centered on hunting.
However the start of formal tourism activities in Tanzania could be credited to the German colonialists who were the first to formally establish game reserves in Tanganyika, known today as Tanzania mainland.
By the end of the 19th century Tanzania witnessed a more frequent arrivals of German travelers who saw in this land an opportunity for the construction sector. They undertook the development of roads, hospitals, schools, and rail networks.
During the World War I and in the 1910s, British forces moved to occupy German East Africa territory, which concluded with the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 that appointed Britain as the governors of Tanganyika.
With the establishment of new policies in the 1920s to encourage indigenous African to get involve in the colony’s development, the number of game reserves was extended to 13.
Until Tanzania’s independence in the year 1961 most of the tourists were explorers from Europe that wanted to find out more about the continent’s geography.
Thanks to them, current tourist attractions such as Lake Tanganyika, Lake Victoria, and Mount Kilimanjaro were discovered.
There were two ways to reach Tanzania in those years, by foot from Kenya, and from Zanzibar where there was the only reliable port of the region, however, it was common to pick the first option.
Right after the independence in 1961 and under the leadership of the country’s first President Julius Nyerere, tourism was categorized as activities that embrace colonial interests in the country, which made tourism to look like a less viable industry.
It was not until the end of the 1960’s that the socialist government in place sought to create the foundations of a Tanzania tourism industry, with a few state hotels being built.
At this time foreign tourists came out of curiosity and tourism in Tanzania was often promoted through neighboring Kenya, which had a far more developed tourism industry.
From 1995, when Tanzania started to liberalize its economy toward a free-market model, its government engaged to create an environment conducive to private investment in all sub sectors of tourism, such as hotels construction, restaurants, air and ground operations.
As a result the Tanzanian tourism industry has been increasing at a rate of around 10% per annum and the beauty of Tanzania’s natural reserves and national parks, with its friendly, hospitable and pacific people, have helped the country to raise the tourist arrivals from 582,807 in the year 2004, to 1,063,000 at the beginning of 2014.
At the same time today, most visitors travel directly to Tanzania, with only 20% to 30% coming via Kenya.
In fact in the period 2011-2014 Tanzania has seen a growth of 26.10% in its tourism arrivals while Kenya has witnessed a drop of 18.06%.
Tanzania Tourism Offer
Tanzania Geography And Climate
With an extension of 947,303 square km (365,756 sq mi), Tanzania is the 13th largest country in Africa and the 31st largest in the world.
Tanzania is located on the eastern coast of Africa and has an Indian Ocean coastline approximately 800 km (500 mi) long and incorporates several offshore islands, including Unguja (Zanzibar), Pemba, and Mafia.
Tanzania borders 8 countries: Kenya and Uganda to the north; Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west; and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south.
Tanzania has a varied geography, including deep and large freshwater and salt lakes, many national parks, and Africa’s highest point, Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 m or 19,341 ft).
Although annual average temperature in Tanzania is 20 °C (68.0 °F), climate varies greatly within the country.
In the highlands, temperatures range between 10 and 20 °C (50 and 68 °F) during cold and hot seasons respectively, while in the rest of the country has temperatures rarely falling lower than 20 °C (68 °F).
The hottest period extends between November and February (25–31 °C or 77.0–87.8 °F) while the coldest period occurs between May and August (15–20 °C or 59–68 °F).
Tanzania has two major rainfall regimes: one is uni-modal (October–April) and the other is bi-modal (October–December and March–May).
The former is experienced in southern, central, and western parts of the country, and the latter is found in the north from Lake Victoria extending east to the coast.
Tanzania Tourism Products: Unmatched Wildlife & Sandy Beaches
The United Republic of Tanzania is the largest country within the East African Community (EAC), covering 945,234 sq. km made up 942,832 sq. km of mainland Tanzania (formerly Tanganyika) and 2,400 sq.km of Zanzibar (consisting of the Islands of Unguja and Pemba), as well as several smaller offshore islands.
The tourist attractions in the country are often divided into two main categories: wildlife and beach.
Tanzania’s Wildlife Resources are considered among the finest in the world and Tanzania is the only country in the World, which has allocated more than 25% of its total area for Wildlife National Parks and protected areas.
There are 16 National Parks, 28 Game Reserves, 44 Game controlled areas, 1 conservation area and 2 Marine Parks with more than 44% of the country’s land area is covered with game reserves and national parks.
Tanzania boosts many of Africa’s most renewed destinations; in the north the Serengeti plains, the Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, and Mount Kilimanjaro – and in the south Mikumi and Ruaha National Parks and the Selous Game Reserve.
Other additional natural attractions include the white sandy beaches of the spice islands of Zanzibar, of north and south of Dar es Salaam, and excellent deep-sea fishing at Mafia and Pemba Islands. Among the Indian Ocean islands are remains of ancient settlements.
However in 2006 the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO) undertook a study to support the government to identify market segments and diversify the Tanzanian tourism sector aiming at reaching the 1 million tourist arrivals by 2012.
It helped to extend the offer of tourism products from the traditional ones in the Northern Circuit, to sea activities as scuba diving, snorkeling, whale sharks, sailing, and fishing and land activities as guided excursions, road safaris, picnic daytrips, and birdwatching in places as Mafia and Pemba Island, part of the Zanzibar’s archipelago.
In addition, efforts were focused at game reserves established in the southern region to develop the Southern Circuit as the Selous Game Reserve, one of the largest faunal reserves in the world.
Culture, with archaeological and historical sites are also coming up, such as Olduvai Gorge, in the interior Rift Valley, the site of discoveries of the trace of earliest man, and the Maasai’s culture and art.
Tanzania Tourism Circuits
Tanzania can be divided into two major circuits: the Northern Circuit, which is the most developed; and the Southern Circuit, which is less developed, which the government is aiming to further develop.
There is also some mention of a Western Circuit, but it is still mostly underdeveloped due to access constraints and is, therefore, often considered to be a sub-circuit of the Southern one.
Tanzania Northern Circuits: Backbone of Tanzania’s Tourism
Tourism in the Northern Circuit is very well developed due to its reliable infrastructure.
There are historical reasons behind it as Tanzania for many years was dependent on Kenya for tourism.
The north is geographically very close to this country and to its capital Nairobi, so tourists would come to Kenya and then drive down to Tanzania.
That is why the northern parks have better or more facilities, much more developed than those in the southern part of Tanzania.
The area that the Northern Circuit covers, stretches from Lake Victoria in the west to Tanga in the east.
It comprises of three main tourism assets: the Serengeti, Lake Manyara National Parks, Tarangire National Parks and UNESCO World Heritage Site Ngorongoro Conservation Area (including Olduvai Gorge); the Kilimanjaro and Arusha National Parks; the Usambara Mountains, the Mkomazi Game Reserve and the costal area including Tanga, Amboni Caves, Pangani and the Pemba Channel.
The first group of attractions are well-established wildlife areas and have been the backbone of Tanzania’s tourism industry for a long time and are known as the industry’s “honey pots”.
The second group of attractions in the Northern Circuit exists is aimed at tourists who have an interest in climbing, with the less-known Mount Meru, an alternative to Mount Kilimanjaro offering equally challenging climbs.
The third group include a mixture of attractions: the Usambara Mountains, excellent for tourists seeking relaxation, quiet walks and a chance to observe nature; Mkomazi Game Reserve is good for wildlife; and the northern costal area is excellent for marine-related tourism activities.
Tanzania Southern Circuits: The Future Of Tanzania’s Tourism
Although less known, the tourism product in the Southern Circuit is not inferior to the Northern Circuit in terms of wildlife.
However access to is still difficult and often via air, which comes at a cost.
The South is a new product altogether; very wild and underdeveloped, something new for the tourists.
The three areas that the Southern Circuit covers are: primary beach resources at Bagamoyo, Mafia Island and the beaches south of Dar es Salaam; wildlife resources of the Selous game reserves and Mikumi, Ruaha, Udzungwa national parks; and cultural resources including Bagamoyo again, Kilwa and Mafia Island.
Bagamoyo has a cultural and historical appeal, having played a central role in the slave trade: and its tourism is still relatively untapped, with beaches, wildlife culture and history.
Kilwa was a great trading centre and Mafia Island was one of the earliest Swahili settlements.
Selous is much more river-based with very limited areas to drive, and as such has great appeal to tourists who want to explore and have more of a wilderness experience.
Selous Game Reserve is one of the largest fauna reserves of the world and the vegetation is also different, together with the wild animals.
The Zanzibar Archipelago
In 1964, Tanganyika united with Zanzibar to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, which was later renamed the United Republic of Tanzania.
Located off the East coast of mainland Tanzania, the archipelago of Zanzibar is comprised of two main islands: Pemba and Unguja of which the latter is the by far the most important and developed.
The exotic islands of Zanzibar, with its white sands and coralline barrier, are a world famous beach holiday destination in the Indian Ocean, receiving about 100,000 tourists per year.
Hunting In Tanzania: A Controversial Product Preserving Wildlife
Hunting in Tanzania is presently permitted and regulated by the Wildlife Conservation act of 2009, and its subsidiary regulations.
The hunting industry has grown considerably in the last two decades and Tanzania is among the leading hunting destinations in the world.
Hunting and Forestry jointly contribute 2 to 3 % of the GDP of Tanzania.
Given there is such commitment to the conservation and protection of the wildlife, it may be surprising to note that, unlike neighboring Kenya, hunting still occurs in Tanzania.
However, there is in fact no contradiction, as hunting in Tanzania is part of the wildlife conservation process, as it is done in a much-planned manner.
Counts of our wildlife are taken on a regular basis and hunting licenses are issued accordingly.
Tanzania Tourism Infrastructure
Tanzania still has challenges in terms of infrastructure development in tourist areas as well as delivery of service and lags behind its competitors in these two areas.
According to the World Bank Report “Tanzania’s Tourism Futures”, the transport infrastructure and quality of experience may not match the prices that the tourists have to pay in competing markets.
This view is also shared by the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATOZ). Its “Tourism Market Research Study for Tanzania” indicates that tour operators tend to agree that whilst Tanzania offers an unparalleled natural product, the infrastructure and service levels do not match the prices that the tourists have to pay.
That is why the government has been promoting aggressively investments in the sector and working to develop the available human resources.
Tanzania’s Hotels
According to the 2014 Tourism Statistic Bulletin of the Tanzanian Ministry Of Natural Resources and Tourism, the total number of accommodation establishments throughout mainland Tanzania is 1,210 for a total of 25,793 rooms and 32,259 beds.
Of this, one third is found in Dar Es Salaam with 8,758 rooms (34%) and 3,394 rooms (13%) in Arusha, the starting point for the Northern Circuit safaris.
However According to the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) there are 174 registered and licensed tourist class hotels, offering 11,568 rooms in Tanzania.
Dar es Salaam leads in terms of the large hotels of international standards, including Southern Sun – part of Tsogo Sun, Serena, Hyatt, Double Tree by Hilton, Sea Cliff Hotel, Holiday Inn and Ramada which opened its doors in 2015, with a combined room capacity of about 1,500.
Tanzania recorded a hotel industry growth of 6.3% in the period 2013/2014 and ranks as the fifth fastest growing hotel industry in Africa with Seychelles at the top with a growth of 7.0% in the same period.
International Airlines Flying To Tanzania
There is a limited number airlines linking Tanzania to the European and US markets, with no direct flight to the main source market of travelers.
Although to date 16 foreign cities connect Tanzania’s commercial capital Dar Es Salaam with nonstop flights, non of them is found in Europe or the US.
To tackle this situation the Tanzania is encouraging more international airlines to fly directly to Tanzania, while the The Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) is lobbying with the Tanzania Airports Authority (TAA) and the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA), to introduce incentives to these airlines that have interest to fly to Tanzania.
As a result of such efforts, Etihad is serving Tanzania from December, 2015.
In fact, as explained by Mr. Suleiman Suleiman, Acting Director General of Tanzania Airports Authority (TAA) “the air traffic growth in Tanzania is growing at 20% average per year. The airports under TAA are averaging growth at 20% per annum.”
At the same time “the ministry of Transport is now working to make Air Tanzania, our national carrier, able to fly to Europe and other parts of the world, this will allow us to break through and bring in more tourist” explains Dr. Meru.
At a national level Kilimajaro Airport (KIA), the gateway to the Northern Circuit Is very well served by by mid-size and smaller airlines, who also guarantee connection throughout Tanzania’s 93 airstrips.
Meanwhile, the supporting infrastructure is being improved: the new Dar Es Salaam international airport (DIA) will be officially opened in 2016 to attract and serve bigger airlines and Zanzibar’s airport is also being upgraded and there are new airports in Mwanza in the north, Songwe and Mpanda in the south, and Mafia in Mafia Island.
Tanzania Road Network
In terms of road network, now all major cities in Tanzania are connected to good tarmac roads.
According to the Tanzania National Roads Agency (TANROADS), the total classified road network in Tanzania Mainland is estimated to be 86,472 km, comprising 12,786 km of Trunk roads and 21,105 km of Regional roads, and about 53,460 km of Urban, District and Feeder Roads.
Tanzania Tourism Statistics
Tanzania Tourism Arrivals
Tanzania received a record 1.1 million international visitor arrivals in 2014, mostly from Europe, the US and Africa, versus 582,807 in 2004, increasing at a rate of around 10% per annum.
Out of these, the vast majority (920,028 or 80%) visited for Leisure, Recreation and Holiday.
The average length of stay in Tanzania per tourist was 10 days in 2014, a number which as been consistent in the last 4 years.
Source Markets Of International Visitors To Tanzania
The top 10 overseas markets of international visitors to Tanzania in 2014 were the USA, UK, Italy, Germany, France, India, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia and Sweden.
Seasonality of International Arrivals To Tanzania
The analysis of the visitor arrivals to Tanzania per month shows that although certain seasonality exists, with the highest number of arrivals in February and August, and the lowest in April and Q2 in general, this is limited.
In particularly, although August was traditionally the busiest month, in 2014 it was surpassed by February with 124,264 arrivals versus 120,536.
The lowest months were April and May with 80,519 and 81,421 arrivals which coincide with the main rainy season.
Economic Relevance Of Tanzania’s Tourism
According to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) the direct contribution of Travel & Tourism to the Tanzanian GDP was TZS 2,975.6 billions or 5.1% of total GDP in 2014.
During the same period the total contribution was TZS 8,252.7 billions or 14.0% of Tanzania’s GDP.
“In 2014 alone tourism generated around USD 2 billion which constitutes 25% of all the forex that came to Tanzania” explains Dr. Adelhelm Meru, Permanent Secretary Of The Tanzania Ministry Of Natural Resources And Tourism (MNRT)
Travel & Tourism directly supported 467,000 jobs or 4.3% of total employment in Tanzania and 12.2% of total employment with 1,337,000 jobs.
The average expenditure per tourist in Tanzania per night was in 2014 USD 277 for packaged tours and USD 117 for non-package tours, versus USD 188 and USD 119 in 2004.
Regarding to investment in the travel and tourism sector, it totaled TZS 1,864.5 billion or 9.5% of the country’s total investments in 2014, up from TZS 1,634.2 billion or 9.4% of total investment recorded in 2013.
Tanzania ranks at the 82nd position from a list of 184 countries in the world in terms of travel and tourism sector size, and ranks 9th in terms of the sector’s long-term growth.
It is sustained with the increase on international tourist arrivals which have grown from 1,063,000 in 2013, to 1,093,000 in 2014 and 1,153,000 expected at the end of 2015.
A number that is expect to reach the 1,632,000 international tourist arrivals by 2025 and generating expenditure of TZS 5,702.7 billion.
In terms of components of the travel and tourism sector, the international tourists are mostly visiting Tanzania for leisure purposes representing 86.7% of the total arrivals and generating a spending of TZS 4,231.6 billion in 2014, up from TZS 3,451.9 billion recorded in 2013.
Leisure travel spending is expected to grow at a rate of 5.9% per annum towards the year 2025, while business travel spending will do so at a rate of 7.3%.
Tanzania Tourism Policy & Strategy: Low-Volume-High-Yield
The Tanzanian Government is engaged with developing and promoting sustainable growth on the travel and tourism sector in Tanzania, in order to preserve its natural and cultural resources.
To keep the richness of its natural resources, the Government of Tanzania is aware that the development of tourism has to be actively stimulated, directed and organized.
Tanzania wants resources to be sustainable, maintaining a cap on the volume of tourism while avoiding the environmental damage that is often associated with mass unchecked tourism.
The government takes conservation seriously and is committed to ensure that the environment is not damaged by the development of tourism and that naturalness and biodiversity are protect.
This is why Tanzania’s tourism policy is geared towards the low-volume, high-yield, aimed at up-market tourism concerned with environmental protection.
In order to raise the average number of nights spent by tourist from the current ten, the Tanzanian Government is working on developing new tourism products outside safari, such as marine-based tourism, eco-tourism, urban tourism in Dar es Salaam to diversify the availability.
To extend the beach tourism offer beyond Zanzibar the government plans to establish a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) specific for tourism on the mainland coastline, which will feature hotels, resorts, conference centers, to become a must visit place in Tanzania on its own.
The government also aims at promoting tourism to its many cultural sites: Olduvai Gorge, the Ngorongoro Crater, the museums, the monuments, historical caves, old ruins and many others.
At present TTB has over 60 Cultural Tourism Enterprises located mostly in the Northern Circuit and efforts are being done to develop more in other parts of the country such as the Lake Zone, The Southern Tourist Circuit and the Coastal area.
Diversification is the keyword: “If we diversify our tourism potentials […] in a few years to come Tanzania [will be] the best tourism destination in the entire African continent” explains Dr. Meru.
Tanzania is also working on increasing transparency and efficiency in visa processing by making forms and information more available on internet.
Finally the Tanzanian Government keeps on its agenda the improvement on roads as a key factor to boost not only transport but also the tourism sector.
The overall objective of the new strategy the government is currently laying down has been spelled out clearly and repeatedly: to make Tanzania the best tourism destination in East and Central Africa.
Tanzania Tourism Marketing Strategy And Ambitions: 2 Million Tourists By 2017
Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) is the government organization mandated with promotion and development of all the aspects of tourism industry in Tanzania.
The ambitions are clear: tourism should become the number one contributing sector to the GDP by the year 2025, while promoting sustainable tourism through innovative and dynamic awareness creation.
To reach this objective TTB aims at 1.3 million tourist arrivals by December 2015 and 2 million by 2017.
The markets from which TTB is expecting stronger growth are Tanzania’s primary tourist markets: USA, UK, Germany and Italy, but also secondary markets such as France, Canada, Australia, the Netherlands and Spain.
But TTB is also looking at the emerging markets such as Brazil, Russia, China, India, UAE and South Africa, as well as the Africa region, which has started providing many visitors for leisure and business.
For this TTB launched in 2015 a new brand campaign with a new tagline “Tanzania, The Soul Of Africa”, to show the world Tanzania’s other tourism assets beyond wildlife.
“Tanzania is not only about its wildlife in its national parks and game reserves, beaches and its mountain, Tanzania has more to offer. We want Tanzania to be seen as the best destination in Africa, not just a safari destination” Mrs. Devota Mdachi, TTB acting Managing Director explains.
In 2015 TTB has also launched a new Tanzania Tourist Portal and mobile app to connect efficiently the local tourist operators with the international tourism markets, to raise foreign expenditure and employment.
Investment Opportunities In Tourism In Tanzania
The Tanzanian Government is engaged with developing and promoting sustainable growth on the travel and tourism sector in Tanzania, in order to preserve its natural and cultural resources.
The strategy the government is currently laying down aims at making Tanzania the best tourism destination in East and Central Africa.
The Government, therefore, wants to attract high-income tourists, as these type of tourists are less likely to spoil the culture and the natural environment.
Accordingly investments in tourism in Tanzania have to be consistent with protection of nature and addressing high value tourism.
The development of Tanzania as a multi centre tourism destination offers considerable potential growth prospect and provides ideal opportunities for investment.
Investment Opportunities in Tanzania’s Northern Circuit: Few Unspoiled Areas
The Tanzania’s Northern Circuit is said to be reaching saturation in terms of investments and tourist capacity.
However undeveloped, pristine areas still exists, as in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA).
In addition to the Ngorongoro crater, there are two other less-known volcanic craters: Olmoti and Empaka where there are no roads at the moment, and other areas that are wider than Ngorongoro , as well as Oldupai Gorge where there is still room for some development.
The strategy is clear, as explained by Dr. Freddy Manongi, Conservator Of The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) “we want to identify other areas order than Ngorongoro where we can push tourism physical investments, that has to be consistent with protection of nature and the high value kind of tourism we have in the Area. That’s a long term strategy that would ease the tension along the main crater.”
Investing In Tanzania’s Tourism Southern Circuit: The Way Ahead
Investors traditionally focused on the northern tourism circuit of Tanzania, but as this is reaching a point of saturation, the government is encouraging investments in hotel establishments in the south.
“Tourists are hungry for new destinations in Tanzania and we are trying to draw traffic to the south to places like the Selous, Ruaha, Katavi along the coast, Lake Tanganyika and lake Nyasa” explains Mdachi.
“There are plenty of opportunities elsewhere, like in Dar es Salaam as the gateway to the southern tourism circuit but also as the commercial hub of Tanzania” adds Mdachi.
The strategy is already paying off with investors like the Ramada group, which have opened two hotels this year, one in the city of Dar Es Salaam, Ramada Encore and Ramada Resort on Jangwani Beach, north of Dar Es Salaam.
There are also a numerous investments taking place in Kigamboni, south of Dar Es Salaam.
In addition, historical buildings that can be leased to private operators exist in towns such as Bagamoyo, Pangani, Tabora and Kilwa.
Increasing Demand For Hotels & Lodges
Outside the Northern Circuit and excluding Zanzibar, little or negligible hotel investments have taken place and new accommodations, entertainment facilities, camping, lodges and guesthouses of international standards are needed throughout the country, according to the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC).
Tanzania is also trying to encourage investments not only in the lodges but in town hotels and resorts because of the flow of business people coming to Tanzania.
As a result more international hotel chains are opening up establishments, including Four Seasons, Ramada, Hyatt, Holiday Inn, Melia, to cater for upper end tourist markets.
“Hotel ownership provides an exciting investment opportunity where rewards can be in excess of the risks involved. Investment is moving past the traditional markets of Egypt, South Africa and Morocco, where rewards are not as high, because of the larger existing supply”, indicates David Harper, Hotel Partners Africa Head of Property Services.
Tanzania also has great opportunities to promote conference tourism, with the opening of new conference facilities such as the Julius Nyerere Conference Centre in Dar-es-salaam and others in building of new conference facilities in Dodoma, Arusha and Mwanza and the decision of the Arusha International Conference Centre and TTB to join forces in developing a National Convention Bureau.
Finally, opportunities for man-made tourist attractions like theme parks and gambling resorts are still untapped.
As resumed by Dr. Meru when asked why to invest in tourism in Tanzania: “The range of attractive sites in Tanzania is comparable to no other destinations: With all these at the country’s exposure plus many more, we see Tanzania as a destination difficult to beat in Africa.”
