TANZANIA: Support On Tourist Promotion

Tanzania, mother of tourism attractions some discovered and some yet to be discovered, continues to receive a number of tourists each year.

Regardless of the number of tourists who visit the country every season, it is estimated that the number could be doubled in favour of attractions that the country is blessed with. Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) has so far made remarkable efforts on promoting our tourism attractions both inside and outside the country.

It is high time now Tanzanias celebrities and ordinary citizens supported the Tourism Board on promoting what we have been blessed with in terms of tourist attractions. With the advantage of social media, Tanzanians can support TTB efforts in order to increase the number of tourists' visiting the country.

The move will develop the sector and increase our national income that will lead to boost our economy, plus providing more employment opportunities to youths. Recently, TTB has started to use Tanzanian celebrities including sports personalities and artists to promote our tourist attractions.

"We would like to urge our celebrities and well known youths to use their social media accounts to promote tourist attractions available in our country," said TTB Managing Director, Ms Devota Mdachi, when she held separate meetings with different iconic youth, who live inside and outside the country.

One of them being national soccer team, Taifa Stars skipper, Mbwana Samatta, who plays for the Belgium top division side RFC Genk, Miss Tanzania USA 2015/2016, Aeesha Kamara and Bongo Flavor artiste Vanessa Mdee, popularly known as V-money.

"The board would like to encourage youths, especially the iconic ones to use their positions to promote what we have been blessed with, mainly through their social media accounts as we are all aware of the impact of social media," Mdachi noted.

Expounding further, she said everyone should be an ambassador in promoting the country's tourist attractions. To that effect, she said, the move would put Tanzania on the world map, hence encourage more tourists to visit the country.

She added by doing so the sector would grow and earn more revenues for the country as well as create employment opportunities. The TTB boss also called upon other renowned sportsmen and artists to support the board's initiatives to promote Tanzania tourism attractions inside and outside the country.

Twenty-year old Miss Kamara, who pursues her bachelor degree in Mass Communication in Towson University, Maryland, USA, promised to be a good ambassador, saying she would work tirelessly to promote the country's tourism attractions to other Tanzanians who live in USA and other people.

Excited by what Tanzania has in tourism more than what they usually hear and read, Miss Kamara vowed to show others what the country is blessed with.

"I took pictures of places I visited and promised to continue uploading them in my social network accounts and planned a trip to New York City to showcase the food, dance and all the attractions in Tanzania," said Miss Tanzania USA.

As the ambassador, Miss Kamara was given Tanzania's map with all the attractions, national flag, DVD's of documented tourist attractions, fliers and books with extra information on tourist attraction areas.

In another development, TTB has embarked on global e-marketing campaign by developing a modern destination online tourism portal and Application to go in the same direction with the world of science and technology.

The online services will help much on promoting the tourism attractions existing in the Tanzania, home of Mount Kilimanjaro, Mikumi National Park and Zanzibar Island.

"Due to the growth of technology globally, especially internet, many tourists prefer using online systems to access tourism information and it is the reason why we decide to come up with the application and the website," said TTB Acting Marketing Director, Mr Philip Chitaunga, Following the introduced online portal, many tourism firms especially Small and Medium-sized Entrepreneurs (SMEs) will be supported to increase their earnings and conduct their business more easily.

Moreover, the portal will serve as tool for directly accessing tourist markets as well as online payment, a move that will allow tourists to directly pay for the service providers in the country and enable government pocket its equitable revenue as well as tourism agents.

"The Tanzania Tourism App, contains detailed information on various tourist destinations in Tanzania, among other things the App gives, an overview of what Tanzania can offer as a unique tourist destination in Africa, things to do, hospitality services and how to plan their trips just to mention a few," he noted.

By his account, the introduction of e-marketing campaign is expected to bolster the country's tourism industry, as well as, making it more of a foreign exchange spinner.

He, however, urged Tanzanians to use both products when scheduling their local tourism visits during their holidays, as the products were not designed for foreigners alone.