Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania to Qatar H E Dr. Mahadhi Juma Maalim says the East African nation presents a unique tourism destination for Qataris and citizens.
Recently, TheGrio, a digital news outlet named Tanzania among the top five places to visit in Africa. It boasts the famous Serengeti National Park. The Park hosts the largest annual animal migration globally of over 1.5 million blue wildebeest and 250,000 zebra, and the largest lion population in Africa.
Speaking to the media recently, Dr. Maalim said, “In terms of tourism, of course, more than 30% of the land in Tanzania is marked as a national resource where wild animals roam freely. You cannot get that anywhere else in the world or within the East African region. I think people can visit that in one trip and get a different experience, and we have different things to offer.”
Dr. Maalim also disclosed that visiting Tanzania is easier as visa applications and approval are completed in three days.
“Qataris and a lot of residents can get visas very easily within two or three days. They can apply online without coming to the embassy,” he stressed.
Qatar and Tanzania share a long history culturally and in terms of trade dating back centuries. Over the years, Zanzibar has been arguably the top attraction for visitors from Qatar, and Dr. Maalim notes that Mount Kilimanjaro (the highest mountain in Africa at 5,895 metres), beaches, and other conservations are also places of interest.
“The Safaris and the Serengeti are well known. Those who like mountain climbing can visit Mount Kilimanjaro. We also have beautiful beaches, especially in Zanzibar, for watersports and all kinds of attractions,” Dr. Maalim adds.
The envoy also disclosed plans to partner with tour orgnaisers to arrange fun trips to the country and publicity through the local media in Qatar. “We will be working with the travel and tourism companies to prepare some fun trips for potential visitors to familiarise themselves with our attractions.”
So far, Qatar Airways operates four flights daily to Tanzania, two to the commercial capital Dar El Salam and two to the coastal city of Zanzibar.
Meanwhile, Dr. Maalim noted that he hopes to sign more MoUs and agreements with Qatar beyond the air transport and employment regulations. According to him, three deals between both countries have been finalised, with ten being discussed at different stages. - The Peninsula
