DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA has set a target of attracting 100,000 Chinese tourists annually by 2027, up from the current 82,000, as the government steps up tourism promotion in China.
Tanzania’s Ambassador to China, Dr Suleiman Haji Suleiman, revealed the target during a press conference in Dar es Salaam on Thursday, saying the goal is achievable through aggressive marketing campaigns, including the Amazing Tanzania and Royal Tour films.
“Given the vibrant team I have in Beijing and Guangzhou, I promise you we will meet the target. The Embassy is well prepared to participate in all major tourism exhibitions in China,” he said.
Dr Suleiman said the Amazing Tanzania promotional film has attracted more than 200 million viewers across various digital platforms in China, significantly boosting awareness of Tanzania as a preferred travel destination.
The government-produced documentary features President Samia Suluhu Hassan alongside renowned Chinese actor Jin Dong, showcasing Tanzania’s wildlife, natural attractions and investment opportunities to the Chinese market.
He said the impact of The Royal Tour has also been evident, contributing to a sharp increase in Chinese tourist arrivals from 14,000 in 2022 to 82,000 this year.
To sustain the momentum, the Embassy will participate in major international tourism exhibitions scheduled for September in Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing, which are expected to attract exhibitors and visitors from more than 194 countries.
Dr Suleiman said Tanzania has been accorded special guest status at one of the exhibitions, reflecting the country’s growing reputation as one of Africa’s leading tourism destinations.
He added that the Embassy is engaging Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) on the possibility of increasing direct flights between Dar es Salaam and Guangzhou from the current three weekly services to meet growing demand from Chinese travellers.
“Many Chinese visitors have requested additional flights to provide greater flexibility in planning their travel,” he said.
On investment, Dr Suleiman said China’s cumulative Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Tanzania has surpassed 9 billion US dollars (over 24tri/-), spread across more than 880 projects, mainly in manufacturing and commercial infrastructure.
He said the Embassy is also promoting exports of value-added products to China while encouraging more Chinese manufacturers to invest in Tanzania and strengthening academic exchanges between universities in the two countries to facilitate technology transfer and create employment opportunities.
According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism Tanzania received 5,935,561 tourists in 2025, a 10.7 per cent increase from 5,360,247 in 2024.
International arrivals rose 7.1 per cent to 2,294,495 from 2,141,895, while domestic tourists rose 13.1 per cent to 3,641,066 from 3,218,352.
The data indicates that total earnings from tourism rose to 4.4 billion US dollars in 2025 from 3.9 billion US dollars in 2024, an increase of 12.82 per cent, making tourism the country’s second-largest source of foreign exchange after mining.
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The tourism sector contributed 17 per cent of Gross Domestic Product in 2025, with the government targeting 20 per cent by 2030.
UN Tourism ranked Tanzania 11th in the world for growth in international arrivals compared with 2019 and 3rd globally as the bestperforming market by visitor spending in 2025.