ATCL plans special AFCON 2027 travel packages

Speaking during a recent exclusive interview with The Citizen’s sister newspaper, Mwananchi, ATCL Director General Peter Ulanga said AFCON 2027 is a key platform not only for sport but also for boosting tourism, business, and promoting Tanzania across the world.

“Because we are the AFCON 2027 host country, ATCL, as the national airline, wants to be at the forefront of promoting participation of Tanzanians and visitors from Africa and globally,” he said.

He said discussions have been initiated with experts to design a special product enabling fans to enjoy matches while also experiencing tourism in Tanzania.

“We want visitors to stay in Zanzibar, watch football in different cities or match venues, then return to Zanzibar to sleep,” he said, stressing that the product is being prepared.

According to his description, ATCL plans to launch special packages enabling visitors to become tourists while also attending matches in various cities where matches are hosted.

Besides that, he said the company also has a plan to enhance the appearance of its aircraft both inside and outside to align with the AFCON theme, a move aimed at promoting Tanzania as the host of the tournament across Africa.

A project to give all aircraft an AFCON look, destinations include countries with strong football passion, such as Ghana and Nigeria, noting that there were plans to visit Abidjan, Dakar, and Cairo.

He said those trips will be part of a broader international marketing strategy where ATCL aircraft will act as ambassadors promoting Tanzania as AFCON 2027 host across the world.

When flying to Zambia, he said the aircraft will display messages showing Tanzania as AFCON host, something that will demonstrate the country’s readiness to host the tournament.

Additionally, he noted that the strategy will go hand in hand with the provision of special travel packages and match tickets, a move he believes will bring a new experience of enjoying football across the continent and improve fan engagement across the entire region.

“We will have special packages linking travel tourism and football entertainment. We believe this will create a new way for fans to enjoy sport,” said Mr Ulanga.

Regarding the company’s capacity, the ATCL boss said that currently it has a total of 16 aircraft, 15 of which are passenger aircraft and one cargo.

However, he explained that passenger aircraft can also carry cargo through the belly cargo system in aircraft holds.

Thus, he said the company has two main markets: passenger transport through 15 aircraft and cargo services served by all 16 aircraft.

On its network, he said ATCL currently serves 32 destinations while expansion plans continue.

In April, it will open a new destination, while in May it will commence flights to Seychelles, bringing the total to 34 destinations.