Tanzania launches tourism marketing drive in China
Tuesday January 01 2019
Tourists from China in Nyeri County in central Kenya. Tanzania has been participating in various tourism fairs and exhibitions in China to sell the country’s tourist products, mainly wildlife, its Indian Ocean beaches and historical sites. FILE PHOTO | NMG
Tanzania has launched a marketing campaign in China to attract business travellers and tourists form the Asian giant.
Senior officials of the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB), Ministry of Tourism, the national airline and key tourism institutions visited China in December to market the country’s attractions, banking on the much-awaited Air Tanzania flights to Guangzhou via Bangkok and Mumbai.
The officials visited Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Chengdu and Beijing.
In 2017, Tanzania received 30,000 Chinese tourists.
TTB has signed a memorandum of understanding with Touchroad International Holdings Group of China to market Tanzania’s tourist attractions in key Chinese cities.
Visitor projections
TTB chairman, Thomas Mihayo, said they expect about 10,000 tourists in Tanzania in 2019.
TTB has been participating in various tourism fairs and exhibitions in China to sell the country’s tourist products, mainly wildlife, its Indian Ocean beaches and historical sites. The board is also marketing conference tourism as a new product.
China has cited eight African countries as suitable tourist destinations for the Chinese, among them Tanzania.
The others are Kenya, Seychelles, Zimbabwe, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Mauritius and Zambia.
“Our major target is to see Tanzania attract Chinese tourists with more investments in high-end hotels,” said Tourism Minister Dr Hamis Kigwangala.