Up tourism promotion budget: Tato

Arusha. The Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (Tato) has implored the government to empower the state-run marketing agency to competently promote the country as an inimitable destination overseas.

Tato chairman Willbard Chambulo made the passionate call yesterday when he met the new Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) chairman, Judge (rtd) Thomas Mihayo who paid a courtesy call at Tato headquarters in Arusha.

The two engaged in a number of cross-cutting issues.

“Our members have been extremely supportive to TTB’s promotion blitz which has been effective in raising awareness of the diversity of tourism products in Tanzania, state needs to ensure more than ever, TTB is sufficiently funded to carry out its mandate,” Mr Chambulo underlined.

TTB mandate of promoting destination Tanzania to overseas markets is critical in driving consumer demand, but owing to insufficient budget it gets from the government, individuals, mostly larger tour operators and hoteliers, have been carrying out 90 per cent of the assignment.

He revealed that since 2013, the private sector had agreed to pay tourism development levy (TDL) as its contribution to fund TTB to carry out its mandate effectively, but somehow the cash apparently had been diverted elsewhere.

Tourism industry players have so far paid $25.5 million as TDL, but TTB only received less than $2.3 million, something which stakeholders associate with the board’s gross under performance.

“Smaller tour operators and hoteliers cannot afford to attend international travel shows individually and basically were ought to be backed by the TTB using TDL funds. Currently, exhibitors pay up to 50 per cent of the total cost of TTB stand to participate at these shows.”

He complained about ‘outdated branding and poor quality of Tanzania official stand’ in the international travel shows compared with those of other competitors.