Tanzania tour operators mourn fallen President Magufuli
The players in the tourism industry are saddened by the untimely death of the Tanzanian President Dr. John Magufuli who said he was the exponent of the industry.
- The Tanzanian Association of Tour Operators recognized President Maguflie’s support for tourism from computer technology to national forests.
- It was the late president’s vision to reach the goal of 5 million tourists in 5 years.
- TATO has expressed confidence in the new President, who will be with Dr. Magufuli, Ms. Samia Suluhu Hassan, stated that she believes that she will make promoting tourism even better.
In a national televised address, then Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan announced that the death had robbed the country of the brave leader on Wednesday, March 17, 2021 at around 6:00 p.m.
“We are deeply saddened by President Magufuli’s death. He has done his best to support the tourism industry by setting up hardware and software infrastructures to boost business, ”reads a statement from the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO).
The document signed by TATO chairman Mr Wilbard Chambulo cites a series of paved roads leading to national parks and airport overhauls to offer tourists hassle-free travel as his legacy to the industry.
As if that weren’t enough, the fallen head of state allocated extensive land to add six new national parks in the little more than five years he was in office. This is a clear sign of his desire to boost the tourism industry.
The new national parks are Nyerere, Burigichato, Ibanda Kyerwa, Rumanyika Karagwe, Kigosi and Ugalla River.
After the establishment of the 6 new parks in addition to the previous 16 national parks, the Tanzania destination has been reaffirmed as a premier nature and wildlife destination with 22 national parks, apart from marine parks that support the fallen president’s vision of 5 million tourists in 5 years.
The TATO boss said the late Dr. Magufuli also introduced an effective online payment system for government payments, which from the tour operator’s point of view saved a lot of resources and improved compliance.
In the meantime, TATO has expressed its deep delight in the new President, Ms. Samia Suluhu Hassan, and stated that she will be even better at promoting tourism and a conservation effort considering that she is part of the success story of the late Dr. Magufuli was.
“TATO wishes her all the best and expects that she will maintain government support for private sector growth,” the statement said in part.
Ms. Samia Suluhu, who was first elected as Magufuli’s colleague in 2015, was re-elected together with him last year. According to the constitution, she should serve the remainder of the five-year term in the top position.
She becomes Africa’s only current female head of state – the Ethiopian presidency plays a largely ceremonial role – and joins a list of women on the continent who have ruled their countries.
The 61-year-old is lovingly known as Mama Samia – in Tanzanian culture, which reflects the respect she enjoys rather than reducing it to a gender-specific role.
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