The introduction of a US$90 air tax on international return trips to Tanzania from November 1 could have a detrimental impact on tourism for the East African country, according to the results of our latest poll.
Almost two thirds of poll respondents (64%) agreed that the tax would significantly deter travel to Tanzania. Just 21% said it wouldn’t while the remaining 15% responded “Unsure”.
The results reflect broader reader views on the topic. One Tourism Update reader commented that ever-rising park fees and above-inflation price increases are threatening Tanzania’s attractiveness.
“There is a limit to how much the market can sustain before demand will be affected and we're getting close in some destinations, I fear. Maybe that is the plan. But, if so, that is not being communicated to the market. It just looks and feels like a continual gouge!”
Are you tailoring for AI-driven discovery?
The potential for AI-driven searches to limit information to just a handful of destinations, lodges and tour operators is raising concern about the exclusion of many small businesses and lesser-known destinations that make up the tapestry of Africa’s tourism sector.
As pointed out by Rhino Africa CEO David Ryan, the AI-driven search requires a shift from traditional digital marketing strategies to discoverability on AI platforms.
“If your business, your product, your philosophy has not been captured in the data these models are trained on, then you don’t exist. Not to the machine. And, increasingly, not to the traveller,” Ryan stressed.
With AI here to stay, we want to find out whether you’ve started shifting your view of marketing towards enhancing discoverability on AI-driven search platforms.
Our poll question this week is:
