Tanzania is a country with many tourist attractions. Approximately 38 percent of Tanzania's land area is set aside in protected areas for conservation. [1] There are 17 national parks, [2] 29 game reserves, 40 controlled conservation areas (including the Ngorongoro Conservation Area) and marine parks. Tanzania is also home to Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa. [3]
Travel and tourism contributed 17.5 percent of Tanzania's gross domestic product in 2016 [4] and employed 11.0 percent of the country's labour force (1,189,300 jobs) in 2013. [5] The sector is growing rapidly, rising from US$1.74 billion in 2004 to US$4.48 billion in 2013. [5] In 2016, 1,284,279 tourists arrived at Tanzania's borders compared to 590,000 in 2005. [6]
In 2019, the Tanzanian tourism sector generated US$2.6 billion in revenues with 1.5 million tourist arrivals [7] .
In 2020, due to Covid-19, travel receipts declined to US$1.06 billion and the number of international tourist arrivals declined to 616,491.
In October 2021, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism of Tanzania has been granted TSh.90 billion/= for the financial year 2021-2022, [8] part of the IMF loan for emergency financial assistance to support Tanzania’s efforts in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tanzania has almost 38% of its land reserved as protected areas, one of the world's highest percentage. [9] Tanzania boasts 16 national parks and is home to a large variety of animal life. Among the large mammals include the Big five, cheetahs, wildebeest, giraffes, hippopotamuses and various antelopes. Tanzania's most well known wildlife attractions are located in the northern part of the country and include the Serengeti National Park, Tarangire National Park and Lake Manyara National Park. The Serengeti National park encompasses the world-famous great migrations of animals. [10] The Serengeti National Park is the most popular park in the country and had the chance to host more than 330,000 visitors in 2012. [11]
In 2018, Serengeti National Park was voted the best African Safari Park following the depth study conducted by SafariBookings the largest online marketplace for African safaris. In their website, it reads, In total 2,530 reviews were examined from the SafariBookings website. The 1,670 user reviews were contributed by safari tourists from 72 countries. To complement these user reviews, reputable guidebook authors (working for Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, Frommer's, Bradt and Footprint) teamed up in the SafariBookings Expert Panel to write 860 expert reviews
The north is also home to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area includes the Ngorongoro Crater, which is an extinct volcanic caldera [12] with lions, hippopotamus, elephants, various types of antelope, the endangered black rhinoceros, and large herds of wildebeest and zebra. [13] Olduvai Gorge, considered to be the seat of humanity after the discovery of the earliest known specimens of the human genus, Homo habilis as well as early hominidae, such as Paranthropus boisei also lies within the conservation area.
The western part of Tanzania includes the Mahale, Katavi, and Gombe national parks, the latter of which is the site of Jane Goodall's ongoing study, begun in 1960, of chimpanzee behaviour. [14] [15] The country is also particularly rich in plant diversity, the Tanzania National Parks Authority has an entire national park the Kitulo National Park dedicated to flowers. There is a wide variety of biomass across the nation.
Also known as the roof of Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the highest peak in Africa. The mountain (now a dormant volcano) rises approximately 4,877 metres (16,001 ft) from its base to 5,895 metres (19,341 ft) above sea level. The mountain is located in the north of the country on the border with Kenya in the town of Moshi and is accessible via Kilimanjaro International Airport. The airport also provides a gateway for tourists to all northern safari circuits. The mountain is part of Kilimanjaro National Park and is the second most popular park in the country and roughly 20,000 visitors trek the mountain every year. [16] The mountain is one of the most accessible high peaks in the world and has an average success rate of around 65%. [17]
Tourism in Zanzibar includes the tourism industry and its effects on the islands of Unguja (known internationally as Zanzibar) and Pemba in Zanzibar a semi-autonomous region in the United Republic of Tanzania. [18] Tourism is the top income generator for the islands, outpacing even the lucrative agricultural export industry and providing roughly 25% of income. [19] [20] The main airport on the island is Zanzibar International Airport, though many tourists fly into Dar es Salaam and take a ferry to the island.
The Government of Zanzibar plays a major role in promoting the industry. Zanzibar Commission for Tourism recorded more than doubling the number of tourists from the 2015/2016 fiscal year and the following year, from 162,242 to 376,000. [21]
The increase in tourism has led to significant environmental impacts and mixed impacts on local communities, which were expected to benefit from economic development but in large part have not. [20] [22] Communities have witnessed increasing environmental degradation, and that flow of tourists has reduced the access of local communities to the marine and coastal resources that are the center of tourist activity. [20]Tanzania is home to seven UNESCO World Heritage sites with 6 of them on the mainland and 1 in Zanzibar. Currently there are 5 more sites viable to be nominated such as the Gombe National Park and the East African slave trade route. [23]
Most visitors to Tanzania must obtain a visa from one of the Tanzanian diplomatic missions. However, a majority of nations can obtain a visitor visa at any port of entry land or air. Most SADC citizens or East African Community citizens do not need a visa for tourism purposes. 3-month tourist visas are available for US$50 at all ports of entry (except US citizens must buy US$100 1 year multiple entry visas). Tanzania does not fall under the East African Tourist Visa regime and a separate visa is required to enter Tanzania. [24] All visitors must hold a passport valid for 6 months (according to the Tanzanian immigration department) or a month beyond the period of intended stay (according to IATA). [25]
In 2014 a total of 1,093,000 tourists visited Tanzania continuing the year on year growth of visitors. Compared to the size and potential Tanzania has the second lowest number of tourists only above Burundi. Almost 50% of tourists into were from Africa and the number has been rising due to the increase in regional integration and improved flight connectivity. Though the industry has been continually growing the recent recession and the 2014 Ebola scare has hurt the industry heavily. [26]
In 2020, Tanzania, like many other countries, was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, though by mid-2021 the tourism sector began to recover. In 2022, the country welcomed 1,454,920 tourists, and in 2023, this number rose to 1,808,205, according to Angellah Kairuki, Tanzania's Minister of Tourism and Natural Resources. [27]
The most visited destinations remain Serengeti National Park with over 300,000 visitors [28] , Tarangire with 241,741 [28] and Mt Kilimanjaro with 40,000 visitors [29] . Over 2023 Ngorongoro Conservation Area attracted 515,961 visitors [28] .
Tourism revenue in Tanzania rose by 33.5% in 2023, reaching USD 3.37 billion, compared to USD 2.53 billion in 2022. The increase was attributed to a 24.3% growth in international tourist arrivals [30] .
Foreign traveller arrivals (2000-2016) [31] [32] | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Foreign arrivals | Year | Foreign arrivals |
2000 | 501,669 | 2009 | 714,367 |
2001 | 525,122 | 2010 | 754,000 |
2002 | 575,296 | 2011 | 843,000 |
2003 | 576,198 | 2012 | 1,043,000 |
2004 | 582,807 | 2013 | 1,063,000 |
2005 | 612,754 | 2014 | 1,093,000 |
2006 | 644,124 | 2015 | 1,137,182 |
2007 | 719,031 | 2016 | 1,284,279 |
2008 | 770,376 | 2017 | 1,327,143 |
2022 | 1,454,920 | 2023 | 1,808,205 |
Most visitors arriving in Tanzania were from the following countries of nationality: [33]
Country/Territory | 2022 [34] [35] | 2021 [36] | 2019 [37] | 2018 [38] | 2017 [39] | 2016 [40] | 2015 [41] | 2014 | 2013 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kenya | 166,324 | 89,842 | 128,287 | 126,479 | 230,922 | 233,730 | 197,562 | 188,214 | 193,078 |
Burundi | 100,851 | 75,507 | 32,070 | 37,643 | 66,357 | 63,530 | 48,210 | 51,553 | 34,873 |
United States | 100,600 | 48,537 | 218,394 | 234,890 | 82,283 | 86,860 | 66,394 | 80,489 | 69,671 |
France | 100,371 | 51,647 | 94,688 | 54,205 | 34,505 | 24,611 | 28,683 | 33,585 | 33,335 |
Germany | 67,718 | 25,081 | 82,470 | 81,308 | 58,394 | 57,643 | 52,236 | 47,262 | 53,951 |
United Kingdom | 60,116 | 18,276 | 122,178 | 114,433 | 61,048 | 67,742 | 54,599 | 70,379 | 59,279 |
Zambia | 46,787 | 28,076 | 35,126 | 34,631 | 22,561 | 28,836 | 32,694 | 36,679 | 64,825 |
Poland | 46,431 | 38,860 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Italy | 45,282 | 7,013 | 99,270 | 58,722 | 51,758 | 50,715 | 53,742 | 49,518 | 57,372 |
Malawi | 44,438 | 41,906 | 3,818 | 4,668 | 29,197 | 19,246 | 15,807 | 18,242 | 18,197 |
Rwanda | 44,288 | 34,929 | 7,025 | 8,733 | 50,431 | 47,056 | 45,216 | 50,038 | 46,637 |
South Africa | 39,755 | 29,690 | 58,035 | 67,757 | 47,777 | 43,468 | 30,288 | 26,614 | 31,144 |
Uganda | 38,435 | 23,855 | 30,545 | 48,182 | 37,160 | 37,870 | 37,253 | 36,420 | 39,488 |
India | 36,925 | 28,431 | 21,687 | 31,921 | 38,487 | 69,876 | 32,608 | 27,327 | 27,334 |
DRC | 32,159 | 29,031 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Zimbabwe | 28,897 | 16,791 | 31,308 | 33,878 | 26,543 | 22,148 | 30,533 | 36,497 | 30,765 |
Netherlands | 27,810 | 9,634 | 83,998 | 42,160 | 26,542 | 24,197 | 20,150 | 23,710 | 20,633 |
Spain | 25,434 | 13,150 | 70,253 | 36,137 | 14,599 | 15,411 | 11,940 | 9,121 | 13,149 |
Mozambique | 22,188 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Israel | 17,292 | 6,303 | 9,163 | 6,173 | 37,160 | 22,967 | 14,754 | 7,403 | 5,344 |
China | 13,974 | 9,351 | 36,654 | 45,171 | 29,197 | 34,472 | 25,444 | 21,246 | 17,001 |
Ukraine | 12,890 | 20,736 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Russia | 8,174 | 77,422 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Australia | 6,527 | 1,825 | 29,017 | 28,458 | 15,926 | 15,411 | 15,807 | 15,962 | 17,336 |
Total | 1,454,920 | 922,692 | 1,527,230 | 1,505,702 | 1,327,143 | 1,284,279 | 1,137,182 | 1,140,156 | 1,095,885 |
In recent years, the Tanzanian government has intensified efforts to expand conservation areas, leading to the displacement of Maasai communities. The policies aim to increase protected territories from 30% to 50% of the country's landmass, prohibiting human habitation and the construction of essential infrastructure such as schools and hospitals within these zones. [42] On June 6, 2022, the officials announced that it would demarcate 1,500 square kilometers of village land as a game reserve, barring Maasai residents of Loliondo division, Ngorongoro district, from living on the land, using it for grazing, or even entering the area to access water for household and agricultural use. [43]
Tourism development in this areas has attracted foreign investments in luxury tourism, including a $9 million Chinese-funded geopark in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and a $7 billion investment from the United Arab Emirates for a hunting ground in Loliondo. The Maasai, traditionally reliant on these lands for grazing, face restricted access, deteriorating public services, and increased health risks due to the closure of medical facilities. [42]
On June 10, 2022, Tanzanian security forces used excessive force, including live ammunition and tear gas, to suppress peaceful protests by Maasai residents of Ololosokwan village in Loliondo. More than 40 people were wounded, many were left homeless, [44] and approximately 2,000 were forced to flee to neighboring Kenya. [43]
In response to the alleged violations, the World Bank suspended $150 million in tourism development funding for Tanzania, while the European Commission similarly froze a $10 million project. [42]
The Maasai are a Nilotic ethnic group inhabiting northern, central and southern Kenya and northern Tanzania, near the African Great Lakes region. Their native language is the Maasai language, a Nilotic language related to Dinka, Kalenjin and Nuer. Except for some elders living in rural areas, most Maasai people speak the official languages of Kenya and Tanzania—Swahili and English.
The Serengeti ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa, spanning the Mara and Arusha Regions of Tanzania. The protected area within the region includes approximately 30,000 km2 (12,000 sq mi) of land, including the Serengeti National Park and several game reserves. The Serengeti hosts the world's most massive land animal migration, which helps secure it as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa.
The Serengeti National Park is a large national park in northern Tanzania that stretches over 14,763 km2 (5,700 sq mi). It is located in eastern Mara Region and northeastern Simiyu Region and contains over 1.5 million ha of virgin savanna. The park was established in 1940.
Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) is in Hai District, Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania. The airport serves the cities of Arusha and Moshi. The airport handled 802,731 passengers in 2014 and serves mainly regional flights, and a few long-haul services due to its importance as a leisure destination. It is the largest airport in northern Tanzania by size and passenger volume.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area is a protected area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Ngorongoro District, 180 km (110 mi) west of Arusha City in Arusha Region, within the Crater Highlands geological area of northeastern Tanzania. The area is named after Ngorongoro Crater, a large volcanic caldera within the area. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority administers the conservation area, an arm of the Tanzanian government, and its boundaries follow the boundary of the Ngorongoro District in Arusha Region. The western portion of the park abuts the Serengeti National Park, and the area comprising the two parks and Kenya's Maasai Mara game reserve is home to Great Migration, a massive annual migration of millions of wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, and other animals. The conservation area also contains Olduvai Gorge, one of the most important paleoanthropological sites in the world.
Kilimanjaro National Park is a Tanzanian national park located 300 kilometres (190 mi) south of the equator in the Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania. The park is located near the region of Moshi. The park includes the whole of Mount Kilimanjaro above the tree line and the surrounding montane forest belt above 1,820 metres (5,970 ft). It covers an area of 1,688 square kilometres (652 sq mi), 2°50'–3°10'S 37°10'–37°40'E. The park is administered by the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA). It was established as a national park in 1973. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987 and Natural Wonder of Africa in 2013.
Arusha Region is one of Tanzania's 31 administrative regions and is located in the northeast of the country. The region's capital and largest city is the city of Arusha. The region is bordered by Kajiado County and Narok County in Kenya to the north, the Kilimanjaro Region to the east, the Manyara and Singida Regions to the south, and the Mara and Simiyu regions to the west. Arusha Region is home to Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The region is comparable in size to the combined land and water areas of the state of Maryland in the United States.
Ngorongoro District is one of seven districts in western Arusha Region of Tanzania. The district is bordered to the north by Kenya, to the east by Monduli District, the northeast by Longido District, and to the south by the Karatu District. The western border is the Serengeti District in Mara Region. Ngorongoro District is home to the Ngorongoro Crater and was named after it. It covers an area of 14,036 km2 (5,419 sq mi). The district is comparable in size to the land area of Timor Leste. The administrative seat is the town of Loliondo. The district is home to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The district is also home to the third tallest mountain in the country, Mount Loolmalasin. According to the 2002 Tanzania National Census, the population of the Ngorongoro Region was 129,776. By 2012, the population of the district was 174,278. By 2022, the population had grown to 273,549.
The Olduvai Gorge Museum is located in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in Northern Tanzania on the edge of the Olduvai Gorge. The museum was founded by Mary Leakey and is now under the jurisdiction of the Tanzanian government's Department of Cultural Antiquities and is managed by the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority. It is a museum dedicated to the appreciation and understanding of the Olduvai Gorge and Laetoli fossil sites.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Tanzania:
Tourism in Kenya is Kenya's third largest source of foreign exchange revenue, following diaspora remittances and agriculture. The Kenya Tourism Board is responsible for maintaining information about tourism in Kenya.
Malambo is a village in the Arusha Region of northern Tanzania, located near the Sanjan River, east of the Serengeti, west of Lake Natron, and north of Ngorongoro, in a picturesque but remote region. It is on the western edge of the Eastern Rift Valley, bordered by mountains on the west and a vast plain on the east.
Tanzania contains some 20 percent of the species of Africa's large mammal population, found across its reserves, conservation areas, marine parks, and 17 national parks, spread over an area of more than 42,000 square kilometres (16,000 sq mi) and forming approximately 38 percent of the country's territory. Wildlife resources of Tanzania are described as "without parallel in Africa" and "the prime game viewing country". Serengeti National Park, the country's second largest national park area at 14,763 square kilometres (5,700 sq mi), is located in northern Tanzania and is famous for its extensive migratory herds of wildebeests and zebra while also having the reputation as one of the great natural wonders of the world. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area, established in 1959, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and inhabited by the Maasai people. Its Ngorongoro Crater is the largest intact caldera in the world.
The Tanzania National Parks Authority commonly known as TANAPA is responsible for the management of Tanzania's national parks. TANAPA is a parastatal corporation and all its income is reinvested into the organization. It is governed by a number of instruments including the National Parks Act, Chapter 282 of the 2002 and the Wildlife Conservation Act No. 5 of 2009. TANAPA manages the nation's 23 National parks which covers approximately 15% of the land area and has the mandate to conserve and manage the wildlife in Tanzania, and to enforce the related laws and regulations in this industry. It manages the biodiversity of the country, protecting and conserving the flora and fauna. The organization does not have a mandate over the game reserves such as the Selous Game Reserve which is managed by the Tanzanian Wildlife Division and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area managed by the Ngorongoro Conservation Authority.
Visitors to Tanzania must obtain either a visa on arrival or an e-Visa unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt countries or citizens who must obtain a visa from one of the Tanzanian diplomatic missions.
The East African cheetah, is a cheetah population in East Africa. It lives in grasslands and savannas of Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Somalia. The cheetah inhabits mainly the Serengeti ecosystem, including Maasai Mara, and the Tsavo landscape.
Fortress conservation is a conservation model based on the belief that biodiversity protection is best achieved by creating protected areas where ecosystems can function in isolation from human disturbance.
Kikuletwa Hot Springs, also known as Maji Moto(Maji Moto ya Kikuletwa in Swahili) and also Chemka Hot Springs, is a natural geothermal oasis located in Masama Rundugai ward of Hai District in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania. Chemka means "boiling" in Swahili, referring to the appearance of how the water emerges from the ground. The hot springs are located approximately 40 kilometers from the town of Moshi, which is a gateway to Mount Kilimanjaro in a village called Chemka. The hot spring waters flow into the Kikuletwa River and eventually find its way to the Pangani River.