Five Reasons To Make Tanzania Home of Your African Meetings and Events
We are looking to develop many more such centres all over the country to boost business tourism and conferences in the future. We are currently scouting areas like Zanzibar, Dodoma, Mwanza, and also the southern part of Tanzania that is rich in natural endowments. As the only public organisation in the country dealing with business tourism and conferences, we feel it is high time other parts of the country also partake in the share of this huge cake.”
World’s Best Safari Experiences
Right on the doorstep of the Arusha International Conference Centre, you will find some of the best safari experiences on the planet.
The northern part of Tanzania hosts Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park. At Serengeti, you can watch the yearly wildebeest migration. If you have more time available and want to go even more off the beaten track, the southern part of the country is home to Ruaha and Selous Game Reserves.
Arusha National Park is little more than half an hour drive from the conference centre, while the Serengeti can be accessed 335km from Arusha.
Lake Manyara, with scenery Ernest Hemingway called “the loveliest I had seen in Africa”, is a 90-minute drive from Arusha, and offers an excellent and easy to navigate game drive circuit.
Perhaps the most spectacular experience within easy reach of Arusha and its conference facilities, however, is the Ngorongoro Crater. The crater is a microcosm of the African savannah, and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area is home to animals ranging from leopard, cheetah, elephant and hyena to warthog, buffalo and impala. The crater was formed when a large volcano erupted and collapsed in on itself, and is a unique experience for any visitor to Tanzania.
Mt. Kilimanjaro, the peak of Africa
As the highest mountain in Africa, Mt. Kilimanjaro requires little introduction. The region surrounding the mountain is increasingly popular for meetings and events, with a host of five-star lodges and hotels equally adept in meeting the needs of hikers or visitors attending meetings in the shadow of the spectacular mountain.
Kilimanjaro is not only Africa’s tallest peak but also the world’s tallest free-standing mountain. The summit, Uhuru Point, is 5,895 meters (19,341 feet) above sea level.
Island Living
Completing the incredible diversity of Tanzanian tourism options are spectacular Indian Ocean islands such as Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia Island.
Historically, Zanzibar was a base for traders from the African Lakes region, India, and the Arabian peninsula. It grew to become a significant trading hub and has a unique culture from mainland Tanzania as a result.
The ancient city of Stone Town on Zanzibar is a UNESCO world heritage site and is a spectacular maze of history to enjoy getting lost in.
The island is already home to a series of five-star hotels in beautiful and unique settings ready to accommodate meetings and events of any size.
Continued Investment in East Africa’s Best Conference Facilities
Tanzania will continue to invest in its meetings and conference facilities and business tourism infrastructure. Key to the strategy is ensuring the facilities are within reach of the national jewels of the tourism industry, allowing visitors to combine business and leisure visits.
Arusha International Conference Center is currently working on developing and enhancing conference facilities across the country. Arusha ICC itself is a spectacular custom-built facility, with the capacity to host up to 10,000 delegates.
The Julius Nyerere International Convention Center is expected to continue hosting international conferences. The centre recently hosted the thirty-ninth SADC head of states summit. With a proven track record in hosting events in both Arusha and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania is firmly established as a hub in East Africa for the meetings and events industry.
Growing Connectivity and Infrastructure
One of the principal barriers to developing intra-African tourism remains connectivity between nations. In Tanzania, the return of national carrier Air Tanzania in 2016 followed by the establishment of direct flights to Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa was a significant boost to the tourism industry.
The national carrier’s routes are complemented by an extensive network of airlines including Precision Air, Ethiopian Airlines and South African Airways serving the country.
Investment continues into the road infrastructure which connects the business and tourism hubs of the country.
Mr Kaaya cites infrastructure investment as a key driver of growth for the industry, stating “The Tanzanian market is growing fast because we are improving our infrastructure. Someone who last visited our country ten years ago will be pleasantly surprised at the developments we have made.”
