The Tanzanian government will inspect tourist hotels across the country every six months in a bid to address poor standards and services in the hospitality industry.

Tanzanian Tourism Deputy Minister, Ramo Makani, said that poor service at some hotels had discouraged international holidaymakers. “We will soon start to inspect all hotels to find out whether they meet the required standards of providing services as per the agreed terms and conditions.”

Makani called on hotel owners to upgrade their establishments to international standards to attract more guests.

He said when hotels, tented camps and lodges delivered impressive services, high-end leisure and safari seekers would be attracted to the East African country.

To improve services, he said, the government was also planning to hold short courses for hotel staff before the end of this year.

Tanzania is also grappling with the challenge of charging 18% VAT on tourism services. According to tour operators, the charge has triggered booking cancellations.

Although Tanzania aims to attract three million international tourists by 2018, tourism players say the projection is a pipe-dream in the wake of the VAT challenges.