DODOMA — THE government is happy with tourism earnings trend, highlighting moves to promote tourism activities within and outside the country to win even more tourists earnings.
The Minister for Finance, Dr Mwigulu Nchemba told the National Assembly on Thursday evening that a lot has been done on the background, including President Samia Suluhu Hassan coming up with a special Royal Tour Programme, that has since attracted many tourists.
Tabling the 2024/25 Budget Estimates, Nchemba said the government has been going on with different strategies to promote the country's tourism attractions, so as to increase earnings from that significant sector.
The minister told the august House that due to the set and executed strategies, the number of tourists increased up to 1,808,205 in 2023, from 922,692 in 2021.
Revenue in the sector increased from 1.31billion US dollars in 2021 to 3.37billion US dollars in 2023. The government has continued to implement various strategies including the Royal Tour Programme to promote tourism both domestically and internationally to increase revenue.
These efforts increased number of foreign tourists from 922,692 in 2021 to 1,808,205 in 2023. Further, revenue collection from tourism sector increased from 1.31 billion US dollars in 2021 to 3.37 billion US dollars in 2023," noted the minister.
He added that he was optimistic that a film 'Amazing Tanzania' that was launched in May this year would increase revenue emanating from tourists. Early in the morning, the Minister of State in the President's Office, Planning and Investment, Professor Kitila Mkumbo, noted that in the 2024/25 National Development Plan, the tourism sector is prioritised so that it could contribute more to the economy.
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Priority areas are to develop strategic tourist products, including the beaches, to strengthen and improve tourist infrastructure in antiquities and museums.
On the cards also is to raise awareness and motivate the society on conservation and sustainable management of wildlife resources, forestry and beekeeping; and develop the tourism in southern Tanzania zone as an alternative to other zones.
In ensuring that the defined strategies are fully achieved, the Government in collaboration with other stakeholders will continue implementation of some projects, such as tourism development ones.
Others are management of natural resources and developing tourism in the southern region (Resilient Natural Resources Management for Tourism and Growth Project - REGROW); and combating poaching and illegal trade of wildlife.
There will also be activity to enable the Bee Crops Value Chain - BEVAC, as implementation of the project will help reduce the level of forest destruction and provide activities in entrepreneurship, especially for young people.
