KEY INFORMATION
In The Recently Released UN’s Report, Tanzania Is Trailed By Ethiopia, Morocco, Kenya And Tunisia.
By December 2024, The Number Of Tourists In Tanzania, Both Domestic And International Reached 5,360,247, Representing A Growth Of 107.2 per cent.
NGORONGORO: TANZANIA has been ranked among the world’s top 20 performing nations in the tourism sector, with an average growth of over 50 per cent.
The impressive development in the country’s key economic- leisure sector has been unveiled by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Dr. Hassan Abbasi.
He revealed the notable success at the climax of celebrations for this year’s World Tourism Day (WTD) held on September 27, 2025 at held at the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (picnic site).
“The 2024 UN Tourism report ranked Tanzania as the leading country in Africa in tourist growth after the COVID-19 pandemic, with an increase of 48 per cent,” Dr. Abbasi informed.
According to him, in the recently released UN’s report, the country is trailed by Ethiopia (40 per cent), Morocco (35 per cent), Kenya (11 per cent) and Tunisia (9 per cent).
He said this year’s report confirms Tanzania’s place among the world’s top 20 countries performing well in tourism, with an average growth of over 50 per cent.
Furthermore, he noted that the number of international tourists in the country increased from 922,692 in 2021 to 2,141,895 in 2024, representing a growth of 132.1 per cent, while domestic tourists rose from 788,933 in 2021 to 3,218,352 in 2024, an increase of 307.9 per cent.
“In total, by December 2024 both domestic and international tourists reached 5,360,247, a growth of 107.2 per cent,” he said.
He added that revenue from the sector increased from 1.3 billion US dollars in 2021 to 3.9 billion US dollars in 2024, a rise of 200 per cent.
Dr. Abbasi attributed the achievements to efforts the Rulling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) to fully implementing it 2020– 2025 Election Manifesto, which aims to attract 5 million tourists and generate 6 billion US dollars in revenue by next year.
“Between January and July 2025, the number of tourists increased by 9.2 per cent, reaching 1.27 million compared to 1.16 million during the same period in 2024,” he unveiled.
He expressed, concerted efforts by the Sixth Phase Government under President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan, including infrastructure improvements, the use of ICT and promotional films such as The Royal Tour and Amazing Tanzania, have played a major role to heighten the country’s international profile.
Dr. Abbasi added that Tanzania has continued to shine on the global stage by winning various World Travel Awards (WTA) presented by World Luxury Media Group Limited.
He urged citizens to fully participate in tourism activities in line with the 1999 National Tourism Policy and the Tourism Act, Chapter 65, while calling on the private sector to collaborate with the government in promoting this crucial sector.
This year’s celebrations carried the theme: “Tourism and Sustainable Transformation,” aimed at promoting innovation, professionalism, business development and community involvement in tourism growth.
Reports from UN Tourism’s World Tourism Barometer indicate that Tanzania experienced a significant tourism boom in early 2025, surpassing its 2025 target of 5 million visitors by April.
The country recorded 5.3 million visitors by April and 794,102 tourist arrivals from January to May 2025, marking a 54.3 per cent increase over pre-pandemic levels and a 3.7 per cent rise from the same period in 2024.
The strong performance is attributed to effective government strategies, infrastructure development and a surge in interest from key markets, including China and regional neighbours such as Kenya and Burundi.
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