IN a bid to make the tourism sector its biggest foreign exchange earner by 2025, Tanzania has waived the obligatory yellow fever vaccination certificate.
Yellow fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease characterised by fever, jaundice and internal bleeding and is most prevalent in central Africa as well as in central America and northern South America.
Until January this year, foreigners had to present a certificate at the border proving they had been vaccinated against the disease, before being allowed to enter the country.
The waiver of the yellow fever certificate comes barely a year after neighbouring Kenya waived Visa requirements for American and European tourists.
The two East African countries have similar tourism attractions including wildlife, historic and cultural sites and mountains. Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa is on the border between the two countries.
In Tanzania, as well as Kenya, tourism is a major source of foreign exchange and job creation. The travel and tourism industry contributes around 16% of Tanzania’s GDP and is the fastest growing industry in the country.
The government plans for the sector to become the leading foreign exchange earner by the year 2025 as defined in the government’s development blueprint – Vision 2025.
Records by the ministry of natural resources and tourism indicate an increase in arrivals from 359_096 in 1997 to 482_331 in 1998 with receipts also shooting up from US$392m to US$570m.
This made Tanzania fifth in the ranks of the most popular tourism destinations on the continent. – African Eye News Service