France leads the list of arrivals in Tanzania
FRANCE has been ranked as the top international tourist market for Tanzania since the East African nation re-opened its skies for travel amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. Tanzania reopened its airspace for international passenger flights on June 1, this year, after a 3-month stint of Covid-19, becoming the pioneer country in East Africa to welcome tourists to sample its endowed attractions.
According to Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), France is leading in terms of the number of tourist arrivals in Tanzania over the 3-month period covering July, August, and September 2020. TANAPA Assistant Conservation Commissioner in charge of the business portfolio, Ms Beatrice Kessy and Tanzania Ambassador to France, Mr Samwel Shelukindo spoke to France - based Global Industry Travel News (eTurboNews), explaining why France has snatched the top slot in terms of number of tourist arrivals.
According to Ms Kessy, records indicate a total of 3,062 French tourists visited national parks in the period under review, raising the French flag high as the top international tourist market for Tanzania amidst the crisis, overtaking the USA with 2,327 holidaymakers. The third in the list of key Tanzania tourist source markets is Germany with 1,317 visitors, followed by the UK with 1,051 tourists in fourth position.
Spain, in fifth spot, has supplied Tanzania with 1,050 holidaymakers, trailed by India with 844 travellers who sampled the country's bestowed natural beauties. Switzerland holds the seventh position with 727 tourists, trailed by Russia in eighth place with 669 visitors, the Netherlands with 431 travellers is in ninth slot, and tenth is Australia for having brought 367 vacationers during the period under consideration.
This implies that France has not only cast a vote of confidence to Tanzania's approach of handling the Covid-19 pandemic, but has also become a true ally in helping the country revive the tourism industry in a bid to spur other businesses, recover thousands of lost jobs, and spawn and pump revenue into the coffers. "We are so grateful to French tourists for casting a vote of confidence to Tanzania as a safe destination. Their arrival plays a key role in spreading trust more widely, with benefits travelling far beyond tourism," Ms Kessy explained.
For many, France has become Tanzania's best ally because it supports the responsible and timely recovery of the tourism industry, on which millions of small businesses and jobs depend. Tanzania ambassador to France, Mr Shelukindo on his part said the feat has not occurred by default, but rather it was out of painstaking joint efforts between several key players in France and Tanzania. "My office worked extra-time in close cooperation with the Mount Kilimanjaro Safari Club (MKSC) and Axium by Parker, as well as Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB). We have organised several meetings with tour operators and mainstream media to reassure them that Tanzania is a safe destination amidst the Covid-19 pandemic," Mr Shelukindo said in an exclusive interview.
The envoy said their initiatives were boosted by President Dr John Pombe Magufuli's stance of keeping the country lockdown-free and welcoming tourists. President Magufuli, like his counterpart in Sweden, has never issued a lockdown, thanks to the low cases count, and invited travellers to enter his country restriction-free.
"I can safely say this is a secret behind the feat. I'm proud of my president, as he made us work with confidence abroad. I'm also heavily indebted to MKSC, Axium by Parker, and TTB for their spirited campaigns to promote Tanzania as a safe destination," he noted.
Since Mr Shelukindo assumed the office in Paris way back in 2017, French tourist arrivals in Tanzania have been surging tremendously. Official data shows that in 2016, France supplied a total of 24,611 tourists, and in 2017, the number hit 33,925 travellers, while in 2018, there were 41,330 visitors, and in 2019, the arrivals reached 56,297 holidaymakers.
MKSC founder, Denis Lebouteux, said in most cases, French tourists have been flocking into Tanzania in the low season when the country's national parks and hotels are really hungry to fill empty rooms. "So, this is the uniqueness of French tourists," Mr Lebouteux said, adding that they visit when Tanzania needs them most.
Enthralled by the country's peace and love, its endowed wildlife, beaches and culture, French tourists are slowly but surely becoming the cornerstone of Tanzania's tourism industry. With nearly 1.5 million tourist arrivals annually, wildlife tourism continues growing and cementing its position as the leading foreign currency earner in Tanzania, fetching the country $2.5 billion, equivalent to nearly 17.6 per cent of its GDP.
In addition, tourism provides 600,000 direct jobs to Tanzanians, let alone over one million other citizens who generate incomes from the industry.
