Tanzanian Minister for Tourism, Dr Hamisi Kigwangala, recently held talks with the Chinese ambassador to Tanzania, Ms Wang Ke, and the German ambassador, Dr Detlef Wachter, with a view to engaging them in a concerted Tanzanian tourism marketing effort in their countries. He also expressed the hope that they could influence potential investors to invest in tourist venues and hotels in Tanzania.
Chinese market
Kigwangala told local press that he was working to attract direct flights from China to Tanzania in an effort to draw more Chinese visitors. China has an estimated 90 million overseas tourists each year and is an important source market for Tanzania, with arrivals rising from 13 760 in 2012 to 21 246 last year.
The Tanzania Tourist Board has broadened its influence in China by participating in an increasing number of travel trade shows. This has resulted in Tanzania receiving approval from the China National Tourism Administration in Beijing as a suitable destination for Chinese travellers. This makes it one of the eight qualifying African nations.
Earlier this year, Tanzania and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding to boost Chinese group travel to Tanzania.
German market
Kigwangala said Germany was also a good source market for Tanzania and he aimed to capitalise on this by ensuring future growth.
German tourists visiting Tanzania rose from 36 626 in 2012 to 53 951 last year, according to the TTB’s official visitor data. The biggest draw for the German market is the wildlife, Mount Kilimanjaro expeditions and tours of historic sites that include a heritage of German buildings.
The German government has been financing wildlife conservation programmes in Tanzania since 1959, mostly in the Serengeti eco-system in the north of the country and the Selous Game Reserve in the south. This is an area where Kigwangala said he would like to see further investment.
