TANZANIA: Tanzania Tourist Board And Israel Tourist Board Cooperate To Boost Tourism

Israel Tourist Board and Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB), are targeting to promote tourism between Israel and Tanzania, making the two countries work closely together in marketing historical and wildlife tourism.

When implemented, Israel tourists will be visiting Tanzania and East Africa for wildlife safaris, while Tanzanians will be traveling to Israel for historical religious holidays.

Tanzania Tourist Board Managing Director Devota Mdachi was in Tel Aviv recently for a three-day familiarization tour that was planned to enhance and attract Israelis to visit Tanzania and to explore attractive sites in Israel for Tanzanian holidaymakers.

When affected, big crowds of Tanzanians will fly to Israel for holidays in holy cities and Christian historical sites.

Mdachi visited Israel for three days, together with the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Dr. Aloyce Nzuki, and met Israel tourism stakeholders, including tourist travel agents.

Israel is very eager to cooperate with us in making Tanzania’s tourist attractions known to the Israeli public. Last year, we received 22,000 tourists from Israel. They told us a bigger number will come this year, she said.

She said they used Israel media outlets to market Tanzania’s tourist attractions and their uniqueness in the world.

We received many applications from people wanting to visit our beaches and national parks, she said.

Mdachi said: Katavi, Mahale, Ngorongoro wildlife parks, and the island of Zanzibar are popular names in Israel.

In Tel Aviv, the Tanzanian officials told an audience of tourist stakeholders that Israelis who will invest in modern hotels and restaurants in Tanzania would be welcomed and that they would attract many customers.

Alon Hovev, an Israel investor and owner of Sima Safari Company, told the meeting that he chose Tanzania because of its climate conditions and the hospitality of Tanzanians.

Tanzanians are very hospitable people, and I admire their lifestyle. Tanzania has many attractions, with pristine beaches and game parks, he said, adding that Hovev is married to a Tanzanian.

Statistics show that the number of tourists coming from Israel is on the increase. In 2011, over 3,000 tourists visited Tanzania, while in 2016 the number climbed to 15,000 tourists, Mdachi said.

She expressed TTB’s optimism that the tour would be of paramount significance, considering that Israel had made headway in the tourism sector.

A team of ten Israeli visitors made a familiarization tour in Tanzania’s Gombe National Park, the famous Chimpanzee sanctuary, for a special mission to open the park’s unique attractions in their country.

Drawn from various media outlets in Israel, senior and prominent travel writers visited the park recently where their commitment to write and market the park in Israel through their media houses included blog channels.

Among the journalists were artists and tour operators who took part in the trip that was organized jointly by the Tanzania Tourist Board, Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism.

Apart from journalists, one film actor; a radio and TV celebrity; and two senior officials from Safari Company, an Israel-based tour company, took part in the trip.

The Israeli visitors said their tour in the Gombe Chimpanzee sanctuary was amazing and a wonderful experience that will remain in their memories for many years to come.

Israel is a potential and up and coming tourist source market for Tanzania which travel trade business executives are venturing to capture.

Tanzania has been among African countries attracting Israeli tourists who mostly prefer touring wildlife parks and Zanzibar.