Tanzania Wants Chinese Tourists

Joint strategies being developed to help reach various parts of China to market Tanzania’s tourist attractions there

Tanzania is lobbying the fast growing and lucrative Chinese outbound travel market, aiming to attract Chinese tourists to visit its historical sites and the wildlife parks.

Marketing and business interventions are targeting the fast-growing Chinese outbound market of about 150 million tourists traveling outside China every year.

Tanzania’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism had asked the Chinese Embassy in Dar es Salaam to devise joint strategies that would help reach various parts of China to market Tanzania’s tourist attractions there.

Newly appointed Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Mohamed Mchengerwa, held discussions with the Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania, Chen Mingjian, and said that Tanzania aims to attract more Chinese visitors to its most attractive loctions, including the wildlife parks and the historical and heritage sites.

Data from the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) indicate that around 45,000 tourists from China are expected to visit Tanzania by the end of this year.

Mr. Mchengerwa said that inbound tourism from China alone could hit Tanzania’s target of five millionvvisitors by the year 2025, considering strong Chinese outbound tourist market.

Tanzania targets to attract five million tourists per year who would bring in $6 billion under its Third National Five-Year Development Plan (FYDP III) of spanning from 2021 to 2026.

This entails prioritizing and implementation of a clear tourism, legal and regulatory framework with strengthening public and private business dialogues and collaboration in tourism marketing, Mr. Mchengerwa said.

Key interventions now undertaken are the promotion, diversification and development of new tourism sites in southern parts of Tanzania which have less visitors compared to Northern Tanzania and Zanzibar.

Chinese ambassador said about 150 million Chinese tourists travel to different countries in the world every year.

Tanzania is among eight African countries which have been approved by the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) in Beijing for Chinese tourists.

Other African tourist destinations wrapped up in such an accord are Kenya, Seychelles, Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Mauritius, and Zambia.

Tanzania is currently implementing an aviation agreement with China for Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) to operate direct flights between Tanzania and China from Dar es Salaam to Guangzhou.

Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Touchroad International Holdings Group of China targeting to market Tanzania’s tourism in China.

The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has recognized China as an upcoming source of tourists in the world.
China is set to resume its pilot outbound group travel to Tanzania from mid this month, after it put to ice the process following the COVID-19 outbreak.

Beijing had suspended overseas group tours in January 2020 amid the spread of deadly pandemic while permitting Kenya, one of the East African countries for overseas group tours trial phase in February 6, this year.