Renson Mwakandana
According to Gerson Msigwa, the chief government spokesman, the royal tour film starring President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been a blessing in the tourism sector, both in terms of entry of tourists and revenue generation.
Msigwa stated that the number of tourists who visited the 22 Tanzania National Park Authority (TANAPA) sites increased from 59,664 in April and May last year to 115,194 in the same period.
He credited the spike to the Royal Tour Documentary’s enormous marketing efforts. He also expressed his heartfelt gratitude to President Samia for the brilliant idea of producing the documentary, which is a one-of-a-kind technique to publicize and promote Tanzania’s numerous tourist attractions.
In terms of money collected, he said it increased to TZS. 15.559 billion($6.69 million) in April and May this year, compared to TZS 5.735 billion($2.46million) in the same time last year.
According to him, the country has seen an increase in the number of direct flights to Kilimanjaro international airport (KIA) with tourists on board as a result of the royal tour documentary.
With the growing tourism industry, Msigwa believes the 5 million annual tourist visit target set for 2025 will be met before the end of the year.
He went on to say that Turkish Airlines have resumed flights to KIA and will be flying four days a week. His list included German-based euro wings and Swiss Edelweiss air, which he claimed were the result of the documentary strategy.
He also stated that all strategic projects were on track and would be completed on time.
The chief government spokesperson stated that preparations for the upcoming national population and housing census had reached 88 percent, urging Tanzanians to get ready for the exercise on August 23rd, 2022.
