Tanzania’s tourism sector generated USD 1.4 billion in revenues in 2021, versus USD 1 billion in 2020 when it was severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on international travel, and 2.6 billion in 2019. The sector’s contribution to GDP fell from 107% in 2019 to 5.3% in 2020. In 2021, the number of tourist arrivals reached 922,692, equivalent to an increase of +48.6% from a 620,867 in 2020 when the world was first hit by Covid-19 and many countries-imposed travel restrictions. This is still less than the record 1,5 million tourists who visited Tanzania in 2019, 1.4 million in 2018, and 1.3 million in 2017.

Europe traditionally accounts for the largest share of arrivals, followed by Asia and the Pacific, the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East. Tanzania´s hotel occupancy rate was estimated at 53.8% in December 2019 compared to 44.9% in December 2018. Tanzania Tourist Arrival in 2022 In the period January to April 2022, a total of 367,632 tourists visited Tanzania. This is an increase of 92,535 tourists, equivalent to +33.6% compared to 275,097 tourists who entered the country during the similar period in 2021. In 2022, the number of tourists arrivals is expected to increase more than the number of tourists recorded before the Covid-19 pandemic due to the Government’s efforts to promote tourist attractions such as national parks, beaches, and Mount Kilimanjaro and game reserves.

In this regards, in April 2022 Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan unveiled the “The Royal Tour” documentary while promoting FDIs during her official visit to the US. Filmed throughout Tanzania in 2021, it features Emmy Award-winning journalist Peter Greenberg traveling to Tanzania with President Hassan. She’s the ultimate guide for a week, exhibiting Tanzania’s history, culture, environment, food, and music, as well as telling the stories of Tanzania’s hidden jewels. Tanzania Tourism Revenues and Arrivals in 2021 In 2021, the number of tourist arrivals reached 922,692, signaling a revamp in tourism activities. Revenue from tourism activities reached USD 1,396.34 million in 2021. Tanzania Tourism Revenues and Arrivals in 2020 In 2020, travel receipts declined by 59.2% to USD 1,06 billion explained by measures taken by most countries to limit the spread of COVID-19, which included lockdown and suspension of international passenger flights.

Accordingly, the number of international tourist arrivals declined to 616,491 in 2020. In October 2021, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism of Tanzania has been granted TZS 90 billion for the financial year 2021-2022, which is equivalent to 6.9% of the whole IMF loan of TZS 1.3 trillion in emergency financial assistance to support Tanzania’s efforts in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Ministry will focus on the areas that have been most affected by the pandemic and these implementations will boost tourism and increase its contribution to the national economy.

Tanzania Tourism Offer Tanzania’s incredibly rich natural tourism offer earned it the title of “Africa’s Leading Destination” in 2021. The natural attractions fall into two main categories: wildlife and beach. Tanzania Wildlife & Beaches Tanzania’s wildlife resources are considered among the finest in the world.

Tanzania is the only country, which has allocated more than 25% of its total area for wildlife national parks and protected areas. There are 16 National Parks in Tanzania, 28 Game Reserves, 44 Game controlled areas, 1 conservation area and 2 Marine Parks. Tanzania boasts many of Africa’s most renewed destinations; in the north the Serengeti plains, the Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, and Mount Kilimanjaro, and in the south Mikumi and Ruaha National Parks and the Selous Game Reserve. According to a survey conducted by SafariBookings.com, Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park was voted Africa’s best safari destination for 2020, followed by Mana Pools (Zimbabwe), Mala Mala (South Africa), Okavango Delta (Botswana), and Lower Zambezi (Zambia). Mount Kilimanjaro was declared Africa’s leading tourist attraction in 2016 during the World Travel Awards Africa and Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony in Zanzibar.

Other additional natural attractions include the white sandy beaches of the Zanzibar archipelago, of north and south of Dar es Salaam, and excellent deep-sea fishing at Mafia and Pemba Islands.

Tanzania Hunting
Tanzania is prized for its superb trophy hunting (sport hunting or safari hunting). Hunting in Tanzania is presently permitted and regulated by the Wildlife Conservation act of 2009, and its subsidiary regulations. The hunting industry has grown considerably in the last two decades and Tanzania is among the leading hunting destinations in the world. Hunting and Forestry jointly contribute 2 to 3 % of the GDP of Tanzania. Given there is such commitment to the conservation and protection of the wildlife, it may be surprising to note that, unlike neighboring Kenya, hunting still occurs in Tanzania. However, there is in fact no contradiction, as hunting in Tanzania is part of the wildlife conservation process, as it is done in a much-planned manner. Counts of wildlife are taken on a regular basis and hunting licenses are issued accordingly.

Investments in the Tanzanian Tourism Sector The Tanzanian Government is engaged in developing and promoting sustainable growth in the travel and tourism sector in Tanzania, in order to preserve its natural and cultural resources. The Government, therefore, is focused on attracting high-income tourists who are less likely to spoil the culture and the natural environment. Last Update: 6th June 2022 Sources: Bank of Tanzania (BoT), Statista, Tanzania Immigration Department, Tanzania National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), World Bank (WB).

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Serengeti National Park This is a plain-dwellers' stronghold of 14,763 square kilometres reaching up to the Kenyan border and claimed to be the finest in Africa. Here are 35 species of plain-dwelling animals, including wildebeest and zebra, which feature in the spectacular Serengeti migration, and also an extensive selection of bird life. Probably the best time to see them is from December to May.
This is one of the best places in Africa to see lion and cheetah close up. The vast, open grasslands of the Serengeti are without doubt one of Africa's finest wildlife areas, and being there at the height of the migration is a never-to-be-forgotten experience. Read more about the Serengeti

Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area Covering a mere 260km², the 600 metre deep crater is home to a permanent population of more than 30 000 animals, and is one of the only places in Tanzania where you stand a very good chance of seeing the 'Big Five' (lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino and elephant) in the course of a morning or evening's game drive.This is the largest intact volcanic calderas in the world, and some scientists maintain that before it erupted, it would have stood higher than Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa. Nights at game lodges on the crater can get icy cold.
Unique to the crater is that the local Maasai graze their cattle on the floor, and it is not unusual to see Maasai cattle and buffalo grazing together, with a lion kill just a few hundred metres away. There are around 100 lions in the crater, and about 20 black rhino. The spectacular Lerai Forest is one of the best places in Africa to spot leopard. Read more about Ngorongoro Crater

Lake Manyara National Park This is one of the most diverse of Tanzania's national parks, a tiny (325km²) combination of Rift Valley Lake, dense woodlands and steep mountainside. Manyara was established specifically to protect the elephant herds that have made the area world-renowned. But heavy poaching in the 1970s and 1980s decimated the herds, although they are now recovering and returning to their former strengths.
Manyara is a birding paradise (more than 400 species), especially for waterfowl and migrants, and the forests are one of the best places to see leopards. Lions hunt on the grassy shores of the lake, and are known for their habit of climbing trees. Best game viewing months are December to February and May to July. Read more about Lake Manyara

Arusha National Park
This park lies within the Ngurdoto Crater, a volcano that has probably been extinct for a quarter of a million years. Covering 137km², the terrain ranges from open savannah through acacia scrublands to Afro-montane cloud and rain forest, and Afro-Alpine vegetation similar to Mount Kilimanjaro. There are several alkaline lakes, and the spectacular Ngurdoto Crater is unmissable.Mammal species include elephant, buffalo, various primates, giraffe and leopard. Hiking is allowed if accompanied by an armed guard, and the climb up Mount Meru is superb, often giving the best views available of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Mikumi National Park
This park, 1300 square kilometres in area, offers a chance to see lion, zebra, hippo, leopard, cheetah, giraffe, impala, wildebeest and warthog. A popular spot for visitors is the Kikaboga Hippo Pool. Although December to March is the ideal time for viewing at Mikumi, there are animals throughout the year.

Ruaha National Park At 12 950km², Ruaha is only marginally smaller than the Serengeti, and is pristine and untouched Africa, unsullied by minibus tourism and large lodges with electric lights, discotheques and glitzy curio shops. Infested with tsetse fly, Ruaha is bordered in the north by the Kizigio and Rungwa River Game Reserves, and together they form a 26 500km²
By road, it is a five-hour journey from Iringa, but there is also an airstrip at Msembe for fly-in safaris. The best months to visit are from July to November when the animals congregate around the water holes, but the park is stunning all year round.
Ruaha is visually a treat, with rocky outcrops and mountain ranges giving it a topography that ranges from 750m to 1 900m on the Peak of Ikungu Mountain, and the focal point of the reserve is the Great Ruaha River, with its deep gorges, swirling rapids - and excellent fishing. With over 10 000 elephant, 30 000 buffalo, 20 000 zebra and huge populations of lion and leopard (not to mention more than 400 bird species) Ruaha is a naturalist's paradise.

Tarangire National Park
At 2 600km², Tarangire is far from being the biggest of the Tanzanian parks, but its unrivalled landscape of open plains, dotted with thousands of baobabs, is unforgettable. About 120km south of Arusha on the Dodoma road, Tarangire rivals the Serengeti for the size of the game herds that congregate here at peak season (June to November).This is when many of the animals crowd around the only source of permanent water in the park, the Tarangire River. This is also the best place in Tanzania to see really big herds of elephant - up to 300 at a time.
Tarangire is another park known for its tree-climbing lions, and for its very big herds of buffalo. This is one of Africa's little-known gems and should be on the itinerary of all lovers of wilderness and solitude.The game numbers are staggering: 30 000 zebra, 25 000 wildebeest, 5 000 buffalo, 3 000 elephant, 2 500 Maasai giraffe and over 1 000 fringe-eared Oryx (gemsbok). Predators include lion, cheetah and leopard, and birders will want to look out for the endemic ashy starling, rufous-tailed weaver and black-collared lovebird.

Gombe National Park
This park is on the shores of Lake Tanganyika and chimpanzees are more easily seen here in their natural habitat than anywhere else in the world. Gombe was created to protect the chimpanzees and is set in the beautiful Mahale Mountains.It is renowned for fantastic sunsets over Lake Tanganyika and Eastern Zaire, which makes it an essential stop for the keen photographer. The habitats include rain forests, grasslands, alpine bamboo and woodland. The best time to visit is between May and October.

Selous Game Reserve
This is the ultimate African wilderness experience, a vast region of largely unexplored bush, teeming with wildlife, and with almost no roads into the hidden interior. Selous is a bird watchers paradise with over 350 species of bird, walking is permitted (with an armed ranger) and with 2,000 species of plants to see makes this a most diverse sanctuary to explore.Bisected by the mysterious Rufiji River, the Selous is one of the most remote and least visited parks in Africa and, at 55 000km², is the second biggest conservation area in Africa, and the largest game reserve on the continent, and a proclaimed world heritage site.
To give scale to these figures, the reserve covers an area more than twice that of Denmark, is bigger than Switzerland and is nearly four times the size of the Serengeti.The Selous is a grand African experience. Once home to the biggest concentration of elephant on the continent (over 110 000) the 'Ivory Wars' of the late 70s and early 80s had a devastating effect on the herds, reducing numbers to an estimated 30 000 to 50 000 today.The black rhino population was similarly laid waste, and today there are perhaps 150 to 200 left out of a population of 3 000 in the early 70s.
It would be easy to reduce the Selous to just a set of numbers - 120 000 buffalo, 150 000 wildebeest, 50 000 zebra, an estimated half the African population of wild dog, some 4 000, 350 bird species, 50 000 impala, and a mere 2 000 visitors a year - but that would be doing it an injustice.The defining feature of the Selous is the great Rufiji River, which naturally splits the ecosystem into two distinct parts. Stiegler's Gorge, 100m deep and 100m wide, is a magnificent natural feature with a rickety and gut-wrenching cable car that ferries safari vehicles across the river - not for the faint of heart.
While the bulk of the reserve is miombo (brachystegia) woodland, there are sections of magnificent grass plains, wetlands and swamps and areas of dense canopy forest.Perhaps the most sublime way of exploring the reserve is by boat, meandering through channels and swamps, and exploring hidden lagoons where elephant often come to bathe. Angling in the river for tiger fish and the giant catfish (vundu), which can reach up to 50kg, can be an exciting way to pass an evening, keeping a wary eye open for crocodiles, hippo and lion.
Read more about Selous Game Reserve Other national parks include Katavi, Kilimanjaro, Mahale Mountains, Rubondo and Udzungura Mountains.

Zanzibar
Zanzibar is an island partner state in the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago nestling in the Indian Ocean made up of the larger islands of Pemba and Unguja (Zanzibar) and about 50 smaller islands including Tumbatu, Kibandiko, Chapwani, Bawe, Chumbe, Mnemba, Latham and Uzi. Zanzibar is also known as 'The Spice Island' due to the large number of spices such as Vanilla that are grown on the island.The island of Zanzibar (Unguja) is located approximately 35 km's off the coast of mainland Tanzania. Zanzibar Island is the most popular of the islands and serves as the main access point to reach the other islands. The scuba diving off the coast of any of the tourist islands is spectacular to say the least, and is more often than not the reason for so many people visiting the region.