Tanzania has rolled out a range of measures aimed at stimulating tourism, including a freeze on national park fees and an increase in budget allocated to tourism, among other initiatives.
The Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) has confirmed that national park entry fees will remain unchanged for at least the next 12 months. The announcement was made by Assistant Conservation Commissioner Jully Lyimo during a stakeholder briefing in the UK on March 17.
Lyimo said, while park fees for 2026 are under review, any adjustments will only come into effect from March 2026 at the earliest. She added that all stakeholders will receive a minimum of 12 months’ notice before any future changes and that adjustments will be introduced gradually.
“We want to ensure all stakeholders are given fair warning of any increase and that everything is done in moderation and reflects market needs,” said Lyimo.
The move has been welcomed by the private sector with Tim Valentine Gold, Regional Sales Manager for Nomad Tanzania, calling the approach “refreshing and encouraging”, particularly for operators dealing with long lead times and international partners.
In a related development, Tanzania’s parliament has approved a TZS359.98 billion (€107.9 million) budget for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism for the 2025/6 financial year, including TZS105.74 billion (€31.7 million) allocated specifically to development projects.
Changes to park administration
Speaking in Dodoma on May 19, the Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Pindi Chana, also announced reforms that will allow TANAPA and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) to retain and reinvest revenue collected from park fees.
Since 2020, funds collected by these agencies have been directed to the Central Government Fund. Chana confirmed this practice will change, starting with the reinstatement of revenue retention for TANAPA and NCAA.
Parliamentary leaders support the move, stating that delayed infrastructure maintenance and service gaps caused by the previous model have negatively impacted tourism delivery.
Priscus Tarimo, MP for Moshi Urban, said TZS28 billion (€8.4 million) allocated for Ngorongoro’s development was not disbursed in the 2023/4 financial year, calling the shortfall damaging to operations and infrastructure. “Poor road conditions affect not just tourists but also damage business vehicles,” he said.
The Tanzanian Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism has also announced a series of reforms to improve the business environment for local tourism operators, as part of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s “4Rs” strategy. These reforms include reductions in accommodation licensing fees, park fee waivers for tour guides and lower annual fees for those working in the mountain climbing sector.
