DAR ES SALAAM, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania has received over 1.8 million tourists between 2021 and 2023, earning a revenue of about 3.37 billion U.S. dollars, a senior government official said on Sunday.

"Tanzania now ranks second in Africa for attracting tourists after Ethiopia in the post-COVID-19 era, and it ranks third in tourist earnings after Morocco and Mauritius," said Mobhare Matinyi, chief government spokesperson and director of Information Services.

Matinyi made the remarks when addressing a news conference in the port city of Dar es Salaam on achievements made over the past three years after Samia Suluhu Hassan, the incumbent president of Tanzania, took office.

Tanzania has continued scooping various global tourism awards in recognition of its efforts in promoting the tourism industry, he said. - Xinhua

DODOMA, March 10 (Xinhua) -- The number of tourists visiting Tanzania's 22 national parks remained steady over the past year despite the damage caused by ongoing rains to the infrastructure of most of the national parks, a senior official said Sunday.

Mobhare Matinyi, the chief government spokesperson and director of the Information Services, said that between July 2023 and February 2024, 1,451,176 tourists visited the national parks, with the Serengeti National Park being the primary attraction. The Serengeti National Park, a World Heritage Site located in northern Tanzania, is renowned for its massive annual migration of wildebeest and zebra.

The Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), an organization dedicated to protecting and preserving areas designated as national parks for sustainable conservation, had set a target of attracting 1,387,987 tourists in 2023/2024. However, the latest figures indicate that this target has been surpassed, Matinyi said at a press conference in the capital, Dodoma.

The heavy rains, which have affected the infrastructure in most of the national parks, did not hinder the steady growth of tourist visits, he added, noting that the TANAPA is working tirelessly to renovate the damaged roads to ensure a smooth flow of tourists. - Xinhua

A 58-year-old German tourist, Dr Wendsche Ralf Steffen died in a Saturday morning motor accident along the Kabale-Mbarara highway in Kaharo sub-county, Kabale district.

Kigezi region police commander, Ibrahim Saiga said the deceased was travelling together with Silk Venus, 48, also a German tourist, and their Ugandan driver, Morgan Nyombi aged 60 who survived with injuries. 

According to Saiga, the accident happened at the Kabaraga hill corners in Kaharo sub-county when a speeding Fuso fighter lorry, registration number, UBH 009B that was heading towards Kabale direction from Mbarara overtook another vehicle.  

In the process, it knocked the tourist vehicle, a Toyota Land Cruiser, registration number UAX 567C that was returning from Bwindi impenetrable national park for gorilla tracking to Kampala. Wendsche died on the spot while Venus and Nyombi were rushed to Kabale regional referral hospital with multiple injuries.   

Wendsche's body has also been taken to Kabale regional referral hospital mortuary for postmortem. Elly Maate, police spokesperson for the Kigezi region says the driver of the yet-to-be-identified driver of the lorry took off immediately after the accident. 

He also says that both vehicles have been towed to Kabale police station as investigations into the matter continue. Maate attributes the accident to the lorry driver’s reckless driving. He adds that the German embassy in Uganda has already been informed about the incident. - URN/The Observer