WEDNESDAY November 27, 2024
By Adam Ihucha
The Tranquility News Correspondent, Tanzania
The just ended Blue and Green Tourism Summit has outlined five key strategies to foster sustainable and inclusive tourism development within Tanzania’s pristine coastal and hinterland ecosystems.
Organised by the Tourism Confederation of Tanzania (TCT) in collaboration with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism and EnviroSasa, the summit brought together nearly 100 stakeholders from both the public and private sectors.
First, the forum proposed a comprehensive study to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT), based on feedback from participants, in a bid to evaluate the current state and challenges facing the tourism industry.
This analysis will be shared among industry stakeholders to inform future policy and planning.
Another significant outcome from the summit was the decision to compile a detailed inventory of tourism assets across coastal, island, and hinterland zones.
District-level stakeholders will collaborate to identify ecological zones, infrastructure, and services, leading to a categorised resource survey to enhance investment promotion and strategic planning efforts.
The summit also endorsed the implementation of a structured Public-Private Partnership framework, named PAMOJA, into the tourism policy.
This initiative is intended to improve coordination and address long-standing issues within the industry.
Furthermore, the summit resolved to strengthen the role of the Tourism Confederation of Tanzania (TCT) by restructuring the organisation to enhance communication and influence over policy implementation.
The TCT will be tasked with overseeing destination management organisations and organising regular facilitation meetings to ensure actionable and timely outcomes.
Lastly, the establishment of an ombudsman’s office was highly recommended.
This office will function as an impartial entity to address administrative challenges, corruption, and disputes to benefit government and private sector stakeholders alike.
The TCT CEO, Ms Lathifa Sykes, emphasized the role of the ombudsman in promoting compliance and resolving conflicts.
Deputy Permanent Secretary Dr Edwin Mhede, representing the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, highlighted the necessity of cross-level collaboration for effective ecosystem management and tourism development.
He stressed the importance of disciplined execution of the summit’s resolutions to realise the industry’s potential.
The summit’s outcomes align with Tanzania’s Vision 2050, which aims at long-term economic growth and sustainability through inclusive tourism development that supports national conservation and community empowerment goals.
Ms Sykes underscored the crucial role of local communities as custodians of natural and cultural heritage, thereby positioning them as key contributors and beneficiaries in tourism and conservation efforts.
Despite Tanzania’s vast offshore resources and a coast stretching over 1,424 kilometres along the Indian Ocean, the country currently lacks cohesive development strategies, transparent policies, and structured management, which the summit’s resolutions aim at addressing.
Meanwhile, the summit also facilitated fruitful engagement between the tourism players with the government tax force and Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA).
Tanzania Hunting Operators Association (TAHOA) had a significant engagement with the Ministry of Finance Tax Force.
TAHOA Chairman, Mr Michel Mantheakis, expressed satisfaction after a nearly three-hour discussion with the Task Force and Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) officials regarding negative implication of VAT on the hunting industry.
Additionally, the summit also facilitated the engagement between the tax force and Dar es Salaam City-based hotels where both have discussed service levies local authorities imposed.
Chief Financial Officer of Flightlink, Ms Sakina Mussa, highlighted the summit’s success in establishing a constructive dialogue between tourism businesses and the TRA.
She acknowledged the willingness of the TRA to listen to business concerns, which included discussions on tax penalties and tax returns.
Notably, TRA officials assured participants of their openness to waiver requests for penalties and their ongoing efforts to develop an integrated system for tax return processes.
Ms Mussa praised the summit as a strategic initiative, emphasizing its importance in fostering a cooperative environment for tourism stakeholders to engage with government’s agencies.
Our current mission involves connecting with customers, actively listening to them, and assessing their viewpoints constructively as part of a comprehensive strategy to foster lasting partnerships with key players in the tourism and hospitality industries,” Mr Robert Mhanzi, the Tanzania Revenue Authority Auditing Manager.
The TRA Auditing Manager, Mr Robert Mhanz, praised the summit as an ideal platform for engaging with and gaining insights into investors’ priorities within the tourism industry.
“Our current mission involves connecting with customers, actively listening to them, and assessing their viewpoints constructively as part of a comprehensive strategy to foster lasting partnerships with key players in the tourism and hospitality industries,” Mr Mhanzi said.
Overall, the summit served as a platform for open dialogue and problem solving, paving way for strengthened collaboration and smoother compliance in Tanzania’s tourism industryΩ
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The Tranquility News Reporter/Sub Editor, Tanzania
Patty Magubira is an experienced environmental and business editor whose career started at the Tanzania's state-owned newspaper - The Daily News. He is a man of perfection. Aided by his extensive training as a community forestry expert before joining Tanzania School of Journalism. Magubira had successfully held various key posts in newsrooms, giving him an unmatched connections in media fraternity. Having worked as a bureau chief in Arusha and Mwanza, he managed to build a team work, boosting sales to the highest level ever. He was then promoted to a sub-editor after completing a training in Nairobi, Kenya. His incredible experience, critical thinking and exposure are critical to the quality of any media outlet.
