The Bank of Tanzania (BoT) said tourism receipts reached 10.46 trillion Tanzanian shillings, the strongest performance in the sector’s history, underscoring the industry’s growing role as a key foreign exchange earner.

International arrivals rose by about 173,000 visitors between January and November 2025 compared with the same period a year earlier, pushing total tourist numbers to 2,097,823, according to national data. That represented a 9% increase in arrivals.

Tourism revenue rose by 7.1% in just five months, climbing from $3.92 billion reported in May 2025, highlighting an acceleration in spending by visitors.

Speaking at a wildlife stakeholders’ meeting in the capital Dodoma on Tuesday, Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Ashatu Kijaji said the sector was “solid and vibrant,” attributing the growth to sustained international marketing efforts. She cited the Royal Tour and Amazing Tanzania film campaigns as key drivers in repositioning the country as a leading safari and leisure destination.

Tanzania has since won the titles of Africa’s Leading Destination and World’s Leading Safari Destination, and will host the World Tourism Awards in December 2026, the minister said.

The government is seeking to broaden tourism’s contribution to the economy by developing new products, including meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) tourism, as well as marine and beach tourism, heritage tourism, sports tourism, cultural tourism and ecotourism.

“These achievements reflect stronger public-private sector cooperation, improved strategic marketing and significant investments in transport infrastructure, including roads, airports, railways and ports, alongside an improved investment climate,” Kijaji said.

On conservation, the minister said donor support for anti-poaching initiatives, staff training and conservation projects had helped protect wildlife habitats. Under the National Anti-Poaching Strategy for 2023–2033, Tanzania has strengthened institutional capacity and expanded community participation in conservation, she said.

Elephant numbers increased to more than 60,000 in 2023 from 43,000 in 2014, a rise of 29.3%, making Tanzania the third-largest elephant host in Africa. The country also has the world’s largest populations of lions, estimated at 17,000, and about 24,000 leopards.

Kijaji said the government would maintain strict oversight of tourist and resident hunting to ensure compliance with conservation laws while supporting revenue generation and community development.

She added that the sixth-phase government was implementing reforms to lower investor costs, streamline procedures and improve competitiveness, including revisions to fees and charges and upgrades to operational systems.

Notes to Editors
• Tanzania’s tourism industry earned a record USD 4.2 billion in the year to October 2025, according to the Bank of Tanzania.
• International tourist arrivals reached 2,097,823, a 9% year-on-year increase (Jan–Nov 2025).
• Tourism receipts totalled TZS 10.46 trillion, the highest in the sector’s history.

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