AfricaPress-Tanzania: TANZANIA Tourism Board (TTB) has highlighted recovery plans for tourism sector during and after coronavirus outbreak that have already bitten where it hurts the most.
Ever since outbreak of the global deadly coronavirus pandemic, countries have opted measures of ending the spread which includes lockdown, curfew and relieving up international travel which is highly associated with revenue earning from the hospitality industry.
The protective measures have already affected the sector and that of aviation negatively, thus TTB Board Chairman Justice (Rtd) Thomas Mihayo said that the board was putting efforts of ensuring that it withholds tourism interest as a way of having tourists visiting the country’s attractions after the pandemic in manageable.
“We are continuing to prepare television programs to keep on advertising tourism sites and rebranding ‘Tanzania unforgettable slogan’ to local and international television and online platforms for tourists to keep remembering Tanzania for them to arrange their safaris to the country when a remedy for COVID-19 is attained,” he told journalists in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
The Chairman revealed other strategies including advising tourists who have earlier planned visitation to Tanzania to consider pushing ahead than canceling them, where they may continue with the recreational trips when travel is reopened again.
On the side of local tourism, Justice Mihayo highlighted that people were to adhere to the government’s issued guidelines of not banned local travel but ensure that all is done with observance of maximum protection as stipulated by relevant ministry.
He said that experts have already warned more slump in tourisms earnings which contributes nearly 17 percent of GDP, and was growing steadily before COVID-19 outbreak where in the year 2018, there were recorded 1,505,702 who visited the country.
Commenting on the magnitude that the tourism sector in the country has been shaken by limitation of international travel, the managing Director of TTB, Ms Devota Mdachi, said that it was still being evaluated.
“COVID-19 has occurred in the period of the year when it is a low season for tourism.
However, our marketing department is still conducting intensive assessment to identify the effects and the report will be released later.
