Tanzanian Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Dr Hamisi Kigwangalla, has launched a domestic tourism promotion initiative in Dar es Salaam, which focuses on key stakeholders in the tourism sector.

The Domestic Tourism Promotion Initiative was developed to raise awareness about the country’s various tourist attractions to Tanzanians and foreigners living in the country.

"Our efforts are specifically designed to complement the government's efforts to promote domestic tourism and also mitigate the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, which has hit the tourism sector hard," said Steering Committee Chairman of the initiative, Mkumbwa Ally.

Ally said some of the key features of the campaign would be conducted in phases. Basic skills training on the tour guide profession and porter services will be conducted, as well as customer service training in the hospitality industry such as hotels and restaurants.

"This training, set to to benefit over 100 000 people, will focus on the unemployed youth who have a passion for the tourism sector but lack knowledge on how to move forward,” explained Ally.

“We will start rolling out this campaign in the Lake Zone and then move to other zones across the country. There will also be an array of cultural and sporting events that will form part of the campaign."

Ally added that the events would be a forum to bring people together so that their businesses could reopen at full capacity and support the national economy, adding that all health precautions would be observed at all the events.