Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE government’s efforts to expand tourism sector by marketing attractions other than wildlife has started reaping benefits, and registered some 120 tourists visiting heritage sites in Kilwa District, Tanzania’s southern part on Sunday.
Located in Lindi Region, the place is rich in wonderful historical sites, since the era of slave trade and colonialism.
Despite the historical riches, such heritage sites in many parts of the country were attracting few tourists as compared to wildlife tourism.
Heritage tourism includes places, artifacts and activities that authentically represent the stories and people of the past as well as cultural, historic and natural resources.
Statistics indicate that heritage tourism has been lagging be- hind wildlife tourism, with over 80 per cent of tourists coming for wildlife tourism.
The arrival of 120 tourists for heritage sites at Kilwa Kisiwani and Songo Mnara ruins was as a result of efforts by the Tanzania Wildlife Authority (TAWA), which promoted them.
The tourists from different countries, including US, Japan, UK, Germany and Switzerland, travelled to Kilwa Kisiwani by modern vessel called Le Bellot and toured the sites on Sunday.
They were received by Kilwa District Commissioner Zainabu Kawawa, who was accompanied by officials from TAWA, includ- ing senior tourism officer-Steven Madenge.
The District Commissioner said the Kilwa ruins which are managed by the TAWA have continued elevating the district and nation, especially seeing a ship docking there with the tourists.
“The tourists who arrived, were astonished to see beautiful heritage attractions in this area,” DC said.
Ms Zainabu explained that the district also expects to re- ceive another ship of 150 tourists before the end of this month.
She attributed the number of tourists trooping to Kilwa historical sites as a result of efforts by President Samia Suluhu Hassan marketing the domestic tourist attractions through the Tanzania Royal Tour Film she recorded recently.
According to captain of the Le Bellot ship, Maxime Benoit, the tourists were visiting various tourist attractions worldwide including Tanzania, where they chose Kilwa Kisiwani, Unguja and Pemba. In the Third National Five- year Development Plan (FYDP III), the government targets to increase tourism annual growth rate to 2 per cent from the current 1.5 per cent, and the number of tourists from the current 1,527,230 to 5,000,000 by 2025/26.
The target is also to make an average number of nights spent by tourist from 13 to 14, while making the revenues climb to 6 billion US dollars (about 13.9tri/- ) from 2.6 billion US dollars (about 6tri/).
Among the interventions in the strategy include promoting new tourism products development and diversification for sustainable growth as well as promoting the southern tourist circuit as alternative to other circuits.
“Our tourism has focused on wild animals…this makes tour- ists visiting Tanzania to stay for a few days due to lack of diverse tourist attractions, so if we have these kinds of cultural festivals, they will definitely stay longer,” President Samia stated when in Mwanza to officiate the opening of the Cultural Festival held in Mwanza in September this year.
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