President Samia Calls for More Investments Into The Country’s Hotel Sector To Copy With Influx Of Tourists Arivals From Abroad

 By STAFF REPORTER, In Zanzibar

PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan has underscored the need for the authorities in the country’s tourism to work out an array of initiatives to help attract more investors to chip -in and invest into the available tourism niches, especially in the mega luxury hotels.

The Head of State made the call in Zanzibar when opening a new 5-star accommodation facility, Kwanza Resort by SUNRISE in Kizimkazi, saying the country needs more of such facilities to cope with the number of tourist arrivals.

The President expressed that it was prudent for the tourism-related authorities in the archipelago and Mainland, including Zanzibar Investment Promotion Authority (ZIPA) and the Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) to bridge efforts and embark on a helpful strategies with an eye to attract investors to set up more mega luxury hotels.

“To address the increasing influx of tourists from abroad, potential and viable efforts must be put in place to open friendly doors for potential investors to invest into opening of international hotels,” Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan detailed.

President Samia further detailed that attracting such kind of investments was also crucial for the country to create more employment opportunities for youth.

“The ‘Royal Tour’ documentary has brought positive results of increasing the number of tourists and investors eyeing to invest in the country,” she insisted.

In April 2022, President Samia unveiled “The Royal Tour” documentary while promoting FDIs during her official visit to the US. Filmed throughout Tanzania in 2021, it features Emmy Award-winning journalist Peter Greenberg travelling to Tanzania with President Samia.

In the documentary, President Samia is the ultimate guide for a week, exhibiting Tanzania’s history, culture, environment, food and music as well as telling the stories of Tanzania’s hidden jewels.

According to the Bank of Tanzania (BoT) Monthly Economic Review released in June 2023 which covers key macroeconomic indicators, Tanzania tourism arrivals surpassed 1.6 million in the year ending May 2023, reaching historic heights.

Tanzania’s travel receipts almost doubled to 2,560.7 million US dollars in 2022 from 1,310.3 million US dollars in 2021, consistent with the rise in the number of tourist arrivals. Tanzania received 1,454,920 tourists in 2022, compared to 922,692 in 2021, and 616,491 in 2020.

In 2020, revenues were down to 1 billion US dollars as the sector was severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on international travel, from a peak of 2.6 billion US dollars in revenues and 1.5 million arrivals in 2019.