Samia’s directives as tourism receipts jump to $3.6 billion

Dar es Salaam. President Samia Suluhu Hassan directed on Sunday that the annual Kizimkazi Festival should be officially added to the list of events that promote tourism in Tanzania, further enhancing its national and international profile.

As the curtains closed on the 2024 Kizimkazi Festival, the President said it was clear that the event had once again fulfilled its mission of promoting unity, development, and cultural preservation.

Addressing the crowd during the festival’s climax, President Hassan emphasised the festival’s role in driving both economic and social development.

“The aim is to stimulate economic and social progress. More than that, it is to bring people together, to uphold brotherhood, traditions, and customs,” President Hassan said.

With its inclusion in Tanzania’s official tourism calendar, the Kizimkazi Festival is set to become an even more significant event in the years to come, specifically in the tourism sector.

According to the Bank of Tanzania by the end of June 2024 tourist arrivals has increased to 1,994,242 from 1,638,846 arrivals recoded in June 2023.

During the time receipts from travel activities have reached $3.6 billion from $2.9 billion. The country’s target is to generate $6 billion come 2025.

President Hassan underscored the festival’s importance not just as a celebration, but as a catalyst for community development.

Throughout the festival, various development projects in Kizimkazi received significant momentum, with stakeholders actively participating in the region’s growth.

In her speech, President Hassan urged the community to continue their support for these initiatives.

“By following up and overseeing all that we have committed to during this period, the people must be at the forefront, showing that Kizimkazi has responded and that no one has been left behind,” she said.

Speaking on behalf of the organizing committee, Mr Ahmed Hamisi, highlighted the festival’s achievements, particularly in terms of development projects sponsored by various stakeholders.

“One of the successes is the development projects that have been sponsored by various stakeholders, including hospitals, markets, schools, and a sports centre in this region,” he noted.

Mr Hamisi praised the festival’s role in improving the lives of Kizimkazi residents and strengthening the cultural heritage of Zanzibar’s people.

He also expressed gratitude to the Zanzibar government, led by President Hussein Ali Mwinyi, who during the festival’s opening day, promised to address key challenges facing the community.

Lion named after Tundu Lissu

In a light-hearted moment during the Kizimkazi Festival, President Hassan revealed the reason behind her decision to name one of the lions at the festival’s wildlife exhibition after opposition leader Tundu Lissu.

She recounted how she was struck by the feisty nature of one particular lion in the exhibition.

“Yesterday, there were clips being circulated, and there was this fierce and unruly lion,” she said.

Curious to know whether the lion had been named, President Hassan asked the organizers, only to find out that it had not.

“I told them to give it the name of my child, Tundu Lissu, because it was as restless as my child, Tundu Lissu,” she said.

The unexpected remark drew laughter and applause from the audience.

Chadema’s Tundu Lissu, a prominent opposition leader known for his strong and outspoken stance against the government, has had a tumultuous relationship with the ruling party.