South African Airways (SAA) has doubled its daily flights from South Africa to Tanzania from the original nine flights to 18, to meet increased demand as tourists book flights to this East African nation.
The increased tourist flight bookings come as a result of marketing done by stakeholders in Tanzania and South Africa in which tourists from South Africa have been encouraged to also visit Tanzanian tourist attractions during the FIFA world cup tournaments in South Africa.
This was revealed in Dar es Salaam over the weekend by Edward. Mbwiga, the Tanzania Tourist Board Finance Manager who attended the just- ended Indaba Travel Show in South Africa, and where Tanzania emerged overall winner.
Marketers had said it was possible for soccer enthusiasts to kill two birds with one stone: to enjoy the soccer tournaments in South Africa as well as the numerous tourist attractions in Tanzania.
Tourist attractions in Tanzania include locations of some of the oldest human fossils ever found on earth, as well as the oldest human footprints to be discovered on earth. The attractions also include some of the oldest human drawings found in ancient caves, leaving no doubt the first humans to inhabit the earth most probably lived here.
South African Airways is doubling flight to bring the human race back home. There is also the wildlife to see in numerous game parks.
“During the on-going 2010 FIFA World Cup, there will be daily morning and evening direct flights from South Africa to Dar es Salaam and back,” Mbwiga said.
The number of daily flights will increase from 9 to18, he said, noting that the focus is to assist tourists to come to Tanzania, although the flights will also enable Tanzanians wishing to go to South Africa to see soccer matches and to fly there and back without a problem.
“As TTB we are very glad that South Africa has embarked on this initiative because this will help Tanzania to strengthen business ties with South Africa,” Mbwiga said.
The high frequency starts June 12th this year during the on-going 2010 FIFA world cup, he added. Among the flights, 7 will be destined from South Africa directly to Dar es Salaam, while 2 flights will be direct flights from Cape Town to Zanzibar, and others from Johannesburg to Zanzibar.
As part of the marketing campaign, Tanzania has used some 67m/- to sponsor 38 South Africa Tour Operators to come and meet with local tour operators and hoteliers to see how they can corporate with each other to bring tourists from South Africa to Tanzania.
The funds were offered by the Tanzania Tourist Board in collaboration with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism.
Some 29 tour operators have visited the Northern Tourist Circuit while the remained 9 have visited the southern circuit tourist attractions.
Mbwiga said this achievement is just one example of TTB's effort to promote Tanzania as one of Africa's greatest tourist destinations, adding: “We are confidence that these new routes will expand SA’s travel to Tanzania.”
Amant Macha, Director of Marketing at Tanzania Tourist Board added that Tanzania has remained in the hearts of many South Africans as a country which gave its moral and materials support to South African freedom fighters in order to root out apartheid. Back in South Africa, tour operators have vowed to continue promoting Tanzania tours.
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