Revealed: Tanzania now prepares to receive 10,000 tourists from China

TTB board chairman Judge Thomas Mihayo

What you need to know:

-Implementation of a memorandum of understanding between the Tanzania Tourist Board and Touchroad International Holdings Group has started, with the first batch of Chinese visitors expected in the country in May.

-The deal was signed last December by the two parties under which the latter was to market Tanzania’s tourist attractions to China and bring to Tanzania some 10,000 Chinese tourists in 2019.

Dar es Salaam. Implementation of the memorandum of understanding (MoU), signed by the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) and Touchroad International Holdings Group, has started with the first batch of Chinese visitors expected in the country in May.

Last December, TTB signed an MoU with Touchroad International Holdings Group (Touchroad Group) of China, under which the latter was to market Tanzania’s tourist attractions to China and bring to Tanzania at least 10,000 Chinese tourists in 2019.

TTB board chairman Judge Thomas Mihayo told journalists this in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, March 12.

 

He said that the first batch of 312 tourists, which is expected in the country in May, will comprise of Chinese celebrities, journalists, tour operators, investors and business personnel. 

 

He was speaking during an event to welcome a delegation of seven Touchroad officials, led by Mr Fu Wei, who also serves as the inspector for Zhejiang provincial department of culture and tourism of China. 

 

“The Touchroad chairman, Mr He Liehu came to Tanzania first in January, with a delegation of 35 people where, among other things, launched a campaign known as ‘Tour Africa New Horizon’ which is geared at bringing tourists to Africa,” he said.

 

He said the campaign will be undertaken in Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Djibouti.

 

"On March 8, Mr He is, once again, here with us with seven people. While here, they will visit and inspect all the tourist attractions that the first group of 312 tourists will go to,” he said.

 

He said so far, they have been Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro national parks.

 

A total of 30 investors will also be in the first group of tourists, said Judge Mihayo, calling upon members of the business community to grab the chance.

 

According to Mr Wei, the Touchroad company has plans to bring in 262 tourists every week from May to December 2019, reaching the goal of 10, 000 tourists as agreed in their MoU with TTB. 

 

Meanwhile, Touchroad Group has signed another MoU with Air Tanzania Company Ltd that will see the latter availing its aircrafts in transporting the tourists when they start exploring different tourist attraction in the country.