Tanapa Targets Two Million Domestic Tourists

By Alex Malanga

Dar es Salaam — The Tanzania National Parks (Tanapa) plans to increase the number of domestic tourists by 400 per cent in the coming four to five years.

Last year, some 400,000 Tanzanians visited various tourism sites.

Tanapa director general Allan Kijazi told The Citizen on Monday that the number would reach 2 million in the coming five years.

"We are optimistic that with our new office in Dar es Salaam, we will be able to bring services closer to our customers and increase the number of domestic tourists," he said during a ceremony to launch the organisation's office here.

The new office will offer various services including information about tourist attractions in each of the country's16 national parks.

It will also educate Tanzanians on tourism while interacting with other players within the industry who also have their offices in Dar es Salaam.

The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Maj Gen Gaudence Milanzi, called for more innovation in the tourism industry

Tourism accounts for 17 per cent of the gross domestic product -- the total value of goods produced and services provided in a country during one year.

Tourism is the second largest contributor to GDP. Tanzania earns around $2.05 billion from the industry annually.