Tanzania seeks Qatari investments in tourism, hospitality sectors

A delegation from Tanzania’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism is in Qatar to promote key sectors in the East African country that would be strategic investment opportunities for Qatari investors.The delegation, which is headed by Professor Eliamani Sedoyeka, permanent secretary, Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, is composed of Fatma M Khamis, principal secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Heritage Zanzibar; Hafsa H Mbamba, executive secretary, Zanzibar Commission for Tourism; Richie Wandwi, director of Tourism, Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism; and Felix John Michael, deputy director general, Tanzania Tourist Board.Sedoyeka said the delegation’s visit to Doha aims to ensure a robust relationship between tourism and hospitality-related businesses and companies in Tanzania and Qatar.“We’ve seen how Qatar developed, especially in the past 10 years, and that only shows how aggressive the country is in terms of how it wants to strategically position itself, so in the same manner, business people from Qatar can come to Tanzania and invest in our country,” Sedoyeka told Gulf Times.He said, “The main objective is to invite the global business sector and forge partnerships with our tourism operators. One angle we’re looking at is to maximise Qatar Airways flights to and from Tanzania to give tourists a good time, while the other is in the physical infrastructure.“One of our very strategic partners is Qatar Airways, which brings people from all over the world to Tanzania. When they land in Tanzania, it would be beneficial for Qatari companies to tap those numbers; visitors can stay in Qatari-owned hotels in Tanzania, for example, and that would be a win-win situation.”Other investment opportunities in Tanzania is the country’s transport sector, as well as for MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) in Zanzibar, Dar-es-Salaam, and Arusha, where an ecosystem and partnerships between Qatar and Tanzania could be forged either business-to-business (B2B) or government-to-government (G2G), Sedoyeka said, adding that the frequency and role of Qatar Airways flights will contribute to the success of potential tour packages for visitors.Khamis also said the delegation’s main target is to take advantage of repositioning Tanzania and its destinations, such as Zanzibar during this period when Qatar is hosting the World Cup. “We understand that the whole world would be here during the tournament, which is why this is the perfect opportunity for us to further promote our country as a destination, as well as for investment opportunities.“We are hoping that this visit would help increase investor and tourist interest in Tanzania, but at the same time, we are also looking to forge long-lasting relationships with authorities from Qatar Tourism, Qatar Airways, Qatar Chamber, and other key players and stakeholders to promote tourism and investments on both sides,” she said.Tanzania also has other investment opportunities in agriculture, mining, oil and gas, sports tourism, and halal tourism, as well as activities like kite surfing, visits to archaeological sites, cultural heritage, and cuisine.Sedoyeka also invited companies in Qatar to participate in the sixth edition of the ‘Swahili international Tourism Expo’ (S!TE), which will be held in Tanzania’s commercial city of Dar-es-Salaam from October 21 to 23.