Number of tourists to Tanzania increases by 12.9 pct in 2016

A senior Tanzanian government official said Monday the number of foreign tourists visiting the east African nation increased by 12.9 percent in 2016.

Ramo Makani, deputy minister for natural resources and tourism, told lawmakers the surge came amid efforts to improve the country's infrastructure, air transport and diversification of tourism products.

The number of tourists who visited Tanzania in 2016 was 1,284,279, compared to 1,137,182 of the previous year, Makani said.

"We have been taking key interventions to improve our tourism sector. We have also identified some new attractions that are included in the country's five-year development plan 2016/17-2020/21," he said.

Makani was responding to a question posed by a member of parliament, Yussuf Salim Hussein, on how the government prepares to deal with the surging number of tourists visiting the country.

Makani said his ministry is now prioritizing improvement and supervision of tourist services.

"We are also widening tourist packages countrywide by identifying new tourism products, especially in the southern circuit and western corridor of the Serengeti National Park," said Makani.

He said the government's decision to purchase two aircraft and the ordering of four other planes, which are expected in the country in the near future, will help boost the tourism sector.

Makani said investments have been done in the construction of roads, international-standard hotels and transport services to and from national parks.

He said the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism has already evaluated about 1,000 km of coast along the Indian Ocean coast, from Tanga to Mtwara regions, with the aim of making it a special area for diving, snorkeling and fishing tourism.

There are also plans to improve tourism activities around Lake Victoria, Makani said. Endit