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Peter Mwenguo, Managing Director, Tanzania Tourist board (TTB); Hon. Shamsa Mwangunga, Tanzania's Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism; Jack and Tammy White; Mariam Adam, Zara Tours. |
For the first time ever, Tanzania, the land of Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar and the Serengeti, showcased its expanding luxury tourism product at the Luxury Travel Expo in Las Vegas. The Hon. Shamsa Mwangunga, ,minister of natural resources and tourism, lead a 24-person strong delegation of public and private sector tourism officials to the Expo, which is part of a promotional tour includes visits to Seattle and Los Angeles.
“The American market is our #1 source of tourism," said Minister Mwangunga. "In the 10 years since we have launched our campaign in the U.S., Tanzania has more than doubled the number of American arrivals.”
The 2008 worldwide tourism arrivals were 770, 376, a 7 percent increase over 2007, with visitors from the U.S. increasing from 58,341 to a record high of 66,953 to mainland Tanzania and the Spice Islands of Zanzibar.
“We hope that our strong presence at the Luxury Travel Expo will generate more upscale visitors as well as celebrity guests,” added Mwangunga.
The growth in luxury accommodations includes prestigious brands such as the Kempinski which recently opened Bilila Lodge Kempinski in the Serengeti National Park (and also has properties in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar); the Singita Grumeti Reserves, also in the Serengeti; Serena Hotels & Resorts with over seven properties in Tanzania, including its newest addition, Selous Mivumo and Malala lodges; The Fairmont in Zanzibar; Conservation Corps Africa; and Beyond. One & Only Resorts is also being planned for Zanzibar.