Decision to open the tourist sector was a difficult one, says Tourism minister

Dar es Salaam. Minister for Tourism and Natural Resources, Hamisi Kigwangala on Sunday night said the decision by the government to continue tourism business amidst the Covid-19 was a difficult one but one they had to make to save the sector.

Dr Kigwangala said this during a virtual conference during the Mwananchi Thought Leadership Forum (MTLF) on Strengthening Tourism after Post Covid-19.

According to him, the tourism revenues and employment had been predicated to suffer by 75 per cent thereby calling for quick response to save the situation.

“We talked to President John Magufuli and explained the situation then he reached the decision to continue with the business amidst measures that will ensure tourists arriving in the country and Tanzanians involved in the sector avoid infection,” he said.

According to him, they developed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and later lobbied with airline companies, hotels among other institutions to continue with business in order to allow tourists resume arrivals in the country.

“Through immense efforts to ensure safety and guidelines to protect the tourists people believed that we were well equipped with the situation and tourists started arriving in the country,” he said.

He noted that through the safety measures they were awarded the Safe Travel stamp that is put in every tourist facility to show that the services are safe.