Utalii Wetu :Tanzania's Tourism Contigency Plan in the Offing

By ADAM IHUCHA --Tanzania is developing a contingency plan as it seeks to restore confidence to the frightened tourists who cancel their safaris massively due to threat of Ebola outbreak disease.

 

The deadly outbreak of Ebola disease in West Africa has put a Tanzania’s $1.9 million tourism industry, under renewed pressure, after a lull of nearly six years.

Tourism, a major foreign currency earner, surpassing gold, had begun to recover from the shock of 2008’s global financial crisis, which almost brought the industry to its knees.

Industry key players report that tourist arrivals in Tanzania had suddenly dropped by 25 per cent, despite the country being almost 5,600 km away from the Ebola-stricken countries of the western Africa.

Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO) says that the travel inquiries from overseas also fell by up to 50 per cent since the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa, compelling them to start working on contingency plan to save industry.

At the moment, TATO Chairman, Willy Chambulo says they are in talks with the government and Hotel Association Tanzania (HAT) over the possibility of relaxing terms and conditions of booking cancellation.

“Tour operators are willing to refund tourists in full in case Ebola outbreak occurs in Tanzania anytime, so we are consulting the state and hotels over the deal as part of contingency plan” Mr. Chambulo says.

TATO believes that this will restore confidence to tourists despite the fact that no Ebola case has been reported in East African region.

Coinciding that Ebola crisis had impacted the travel industry more than terrorism, Natural resources and tourism Minister, Lazaro Nyalandu says that the state agree with private sector and the state will not impose new taxes on tourism in the next two years, as part of contingency plan.

 

“Tanzania and East African region could be much safer than Europe and the US because of low human traffic between eastern Africa and West Africa. But in case of outbreak we are ready to be responsible to ensure safety to our guests” he noted.

Should the current global economy remains unwavering, Tanzania hopes tourism industry will earn the economy close to $2.25 billion this year, up from the last year’s $1.88 billion.

According to the 5-year marketing blueprint rolled out in 2013, Tanzania anticipates to welcome two million tourists by the close of 2017, boosting the revenue from the current $1.88 billion to nearly $3.8 billion.  

“We expect to hit 2 million tourist arrivals by 2017,” TTB Acting Managing director Devota Mdachi says.

“With more international airlines flying into Tanzania ... improved infrastructure, increased tourism investments and marketing, we can reach that target,” she said.

Tourist arrivals broke the 1 million-barrier for the first time in 2012 when the number of foreign visitors surged 24 per cent.  

The number rose 1.7 per cent in 2013 to 1.095 million, bringing in $1.85 billion.  Most of the visitors came from Britain, Germany, the United States and Italy.