TANZANIA LEAD KENYA FOR THE SECOND TIME WITHIN FIVE YEARS IN TOURISM SECTOR!

For the second time in five years, Tanzania tourism sector earned $1.56 billion (Sh2.574 trillion) surpassing Kenya’s $1.3 billion (Sh2.14 trillion), a difference of $260 million, The Citizen has learnt.
This unveils the fact that Dar es Salaam has more of the world’s class tourist attractions compared to Nairobi.
Not only have WB data pointed out that but also said that Tanzania received $1.3 billion in 2008 compared to Kenya’s $752 million during the same period, all accrued from tourism.
It is understood that in 2008, the first time Dar surpassed Nairobi, Kenya was passing through a difficult period due to the post-election violence that left about 1,100 dead and over 600,000 others internally displaced, thus profoundly affecting tourism sector.
But, in the year 2012, Dar es Salaam surpassed Nairobi at the time when the latter was enjoying very stable conditions politically and economically. However, this means that if Tanzania is to fully address the myriad challenges facing how it operates tourism sector, it would remain the dominant giant in the region.
Tanzania has 31,365 hotel rooms as compared to Kenya’s 24, 354 and South Africa’s 61,417.
There are about 390,000 hotel rooms in sub-Sahara Africa. Unbranded guest houses and lodges dominate accommodation facilities while only ten per cent or about 35,200 rooms meet international standards, according to data released by WB.
South Africa has about half the region’s stock of international standard accommodation. Kenya, however, has 2,284 international standard rooms compared to Tanzania’s 1,588, while occupancy rate is 92 per cent for Kenya and 43 per cent for Tanzania.
“We forecast that employment in travel and tourism in 2021 will be 463,800 for Tanzania and 273,500 for Kenya,” the WB report says. Currently, Tanzania is the second top tourist destination by accommodation, after South Africa, according to the report by WB.
Challenging the myth
These fresh data by WB challenge pre-conceived myth about Tanzania’s tourism indicating the great potential of the sector and how it can transform the country’s economy.
The details that are included in a recent World Bank report shows that not only has Tanzania tourism earnings and arrivals surpassed Kenya’s but also that the proceeds from tourism brought back to the country several times higher than those from exported cash crops like coffee and cotton. 

-Citizen