19 September 2008

Report shows tourists to Tanzania could double by 2012

A report released by the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO) has predicted that over the next four years the numbers of international tourists in Tanzania will more than double. According to Daily News Online, TATO have said if the tourism infrastructure were improved around the country, tourism operators could welcome a record amount of international travellers.

Around 700,000 travellers on Tanzania visas visit the country every year.  "Tanzania's tourism attractions, in many ways, are unparalleled in Africa. And the tourist experience is not measured on the beach or wildlife product alone," TATO Executive Secretary, Mustapha Akunnay said in the statement.

Results from a web-based survey run by TATO showed that 82 per cent of international visitors to Tanzania were there for the beach, while 71 per cent were also keen for safari travel.  The survey also showed that only 10 per cent of visitors to Tanzania returned for another holiday, and that the majority were did not have a clear image of the country as a tourist destination.

TATO have plans to improve internet sources for travellers so that accommodation and booking arrangements can be done more easily online. 

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The Worldwide Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in Tanzania visa and immigration services.

Article by Jessica Bird, Worldwide Visa Bureau.