Bagamoyo — THE government has pledged to increasingly strengthen the culture, arts and sports sectors following its immense contribution in boosting tourism and the national identity.
The Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Sports, Hassan Abbasi, expressed the government's commitment following a highly successful 41st International Bagamoyo Arts and Culture festival that brought many visitors from within and outside of Tanzania.
Abbasi said this during a visit to the island of Lazy Lagoon in the Bagamoyo district.
"Arts and culture are crucial pillars of promoting the country's image to the rest of the world.So we came up with an idea during this festival to take our guests to different parts of our country.
In last year's festival, we took our guests to Saadani National Park, and this year we brought our guests to Lazy Lagoon Island."
Adding, he said such a tour aims to support the national tourism campaign that President Samia Suluhu Hassan launched last year in the 'The Royal Tour'.
In the isle, he was accompanied by a Morogoro South MP, Hamisi Taletale, Bagamoyo District Commissioner Zainab Kawawa, Mkuranga District Commissioner Khadija Ali, Miss Deaf World 2022 Hadija Kanyama and Miss Tanzania Halima Kopwe.
According to the Ministry of Finance and Planning report, the culture, arts and sports sector have been among the fastest-growing sectors, growing by 19 per cent in 2021.
The sectors have furthermore offered employment to many youths in the country and promote Kiswahili through the works of various artists.
The Bagamoyo District Commissioner, Zainab Abdallah, said Bagamoyo is proliferating economically, supported by the infrastructure.
She highlighted a few of the infrastructures the government had installed, including the new Wami Bridge, which connects the northern regions of Tanga, Kilimajaro and Arusha, as well as the neighbouring countries of Kenya and Uganda.
"The government has made a great effort to promote Bagamoyo as a historical and tourist place; we must make the environment clean and safe so that it can attract visitors who come," she said.
