UNDP and UNWTO join forces to support tourism recovery and local economic development in Tanzania

• Africa
• 29 Mar 2022

UNDP Tanzania and UNWTO have been collaborating to prepare a proposal for a new joint project, titled “Tanzania Tourism Recovery through Digital Transformation and Local Economy Development”.

The main purpose of the project is supporting the Tourism Sector to recover from the impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic and become more resilient by focusing on building forward better a green, innovative, safe and more inclusive tourism sector in the country. The project builds on the ongoing support that UNDP is providing to the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO), with TATO being the main counterpart of UNDP in the project. Initial activities of the new project focus on the preparation of an Integrated Tourism and Local Economic Development Strategy.

In the first quarter of 2022, the situation analysis report for the Strategy was prepared. On 28 March 2022, UNWTO participated in a stakeholders’ meeting on the Integrated Tourism and Local Economic Development Strategy that took place in Arusha, Tanzania. During the meeting, representatives from public and private sector organizations dealing with tourism shared feedback on the situation analysis report and provided detailed inputs and recommendations for topics to be elaborated in the final Strategy.

The Tourism and Local Economic Development Strategy will pay specific attention to the four main Tourism Circuits in Tanzania Mainland, i.e. the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Lake Zone/Western Circuit. UNWTO collaborated with UNDP and the expert team to undertake field visits to the four circuits from 29 March to 3 April to verify the initial findings, consult stakeholders in various tourism destinations and obtain additional inputs for the Strategy, which is expected to be presented by mid-2022.

As a next step in the joint project, UNDP and UNWTO will collaborate to organize a Training Programme for Tanzania on Tourism International Digital Marketing and Communication. The training programme will build capacities across different levels of government and private sector to Support the adoption of technologically innovative solutions that can restore tourism activities and travellers’ confidence while by increasing protection of travellers, service providers, tour operators, front line employees and local communities.

The new strategy and training programme will provide guidance and build capacities among tourism stakeholders in Tanzania to help accelerate tourism recovery, paying specific attention to applying new technologies and fully involving tourism Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the recovery process.