THE government has been taking a number of initiatives to improve the country’s tourism sector whereas with a 150 million US dollars (about 350bn/-) soft loan credit from the World Bank (WB) , it is implementing the Resilient Natural Resources for Growth Project (REGROW) to further enhance the tourism sector in the southern circuit.

Among the many initiatives under this project is construction of the Southern Circuit Tourism Marketing Destination at the Kihesa-Kilolo area Iringa Region. 

Construction of the building, which the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) considers to be of great importance in boosting the sector, is expected to be completed by February next year. According to the contractor, its implementation has now reached 22 percent.

Senior Tourism Officer at TTB Northern Zone, Sane Tobico, said the board has been making various efforts to promote the country's tourist attractions, including those in the southern regions. He said the government's decision to build a one stop tourism center will help attract more visitors.

“We have been participating in various exhibitions both locally and internationally; we also use famous people to visit our National Parks as well as other attractions so that they help us in promoting them globally.”

The center will provide all up-to-date information relating to Tanzanian tourism potentials and advice on what to see and do on their trips, said Tobico, adding the main goal is to make sure tourists have access to information they need and enjoy while in Tanzania.

“Tourism potentials available in southern circuit are not well-known; we want to help tourists obtain information about what Tanzania has to offer in tourism sector,” he added.

He said: “We are thankful to the government as Iringa Region is now positioned to be a model of sustainable development and environmental stewardship. The one stop tourism center valued at 1.5bn/- will accommodate large gatherings of up to 300 visitors at once.”

Tully Kulanga, is the Principal Tourism Officer, TTB Southern Zone, said they have been coming up with new tourism products such as Rovos train that make trips from South Africa to Tanzania, cruise ships and sports tourism. 

Kulanga linked the surge in number of tourists visiting the southern circuit with the Royal Tour film, private sector engagement as well as the on-going execution of the REGROW project.

Head of Government Communications in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, John Mapepele, said the government will continue to implement projects that are geared to increasing the number of tourists, increasing income from tourism activities and improving the preservation and management of wildlife resources.

The government is committed to advancing the tourism sector as the various interventions have yield notable results, with the number of international tourists increasing by 96 percent from 922,692 in 2021 to 1,808,205 in 2023.

The number of domestic tourists has also increased by 152 percent during the same period, reaching 1,985,707 tourists last year from 788,933 tourists in 2021, said Mapepele, adding, the record has never been reached in the country before.

He detailed that income generated from international visitors has escalated from $1.3 billion in 2021 to $3.4 billion last year, equivalent to 161 percent. Income from domestic tourism has increased from 46.3bn/- in 2021 to 175.3bn/- last year, equivalent to 279 percent.

Mapepele mentioned the enhancement of wildlife resource protection and management as among the factors that enabled Tanzania to maintain its leading position in Africa, with approximately 17,000 lions, 225,000 buffalo, and 24,000 leopards.

Statistics indicate that the rhino population has surged from 163 in 2021 to 252 as of April this year, he remarked.

He called on media engagement in promoting Tanzania tourism destinations and highlighting government initiatives like the REGROW projects, emphasizing the importance of showcasing the sector’s achievements and fostering positive outcomes.

The REGROW project that aims to improve tourism in the southern circuit covers Nyerere, Uduzungwa, Ruaha and Mikumi National Parks. It works with 61 villages whereas in the first phase it covered 15 villages. So far a total 761 groups have benefited with the empowerment plan.

The project is expected to address key southern circuit challenges like limited infrastructure inside the protected areas, environmental degradation, insufficient linkages between tourism and rural development, and water resources trade-offs upstream of the Ruaha National Park, leading to water scarcity inside the park.