High visa fee turning business away, Tanzania hoteliers say

Tanzania increased Business visa feed to $250 and $200 for a business pass. PHOTO | FILE 

By Louis Kolumbia

In Summary

• In new rules introduced in January, a foreigner seeking a business visa is paying $250 and $200 for a business pass.
• The new fees came into effect after the government abolished the Carrying on Temporary Assignment Pass (CTA) which it said had been abused and lacked a proper implementation mechanism. Visa fees then ranged from $50 to $100. American passport holders were the highest paying visitors.

Tanzania’s hoteliers are raising concern over deteriorating business due to a recent decision by the government to raise business visa fees for foreigners.

The hotel industry players warn that international conference organisers are skipping the country over the exorbitant fees levied by the Immigration department that has seen room bookings plummet significantly.

In new rules introduced in January, a foreigner seeking a business visa is paying $250 and $200 for a business pass.

“We have introduced the $200 as Business Pass for people from nations that do not need a visa to come here but are coming in for meetings that are deemed as business related. Those in this category from the US and other nations that require visas will pay $250 for Business Visa,” said the Immigration department spokesman Mr Abbas Irovya.

The new fees came into effect after the government abolished the Carrying on Temporary Assignment Pass (CTA) which it said had been abused and lacked a proper implementation mechanism. Visa fees then ranged from $50 to $100. American passport holders were the highest paying visitors.

According to the new structure, anybody coming into the country for business related trips would now be required to pay $200 for all national passport holders from countries without a visa arrangement with Tanzania and $250 for American passport holders.

Stakeholders say as a result of the new levies, they have been losing business to neighbouring countries who charge less with visitors to Rwanda paying $30, Kenya $67 while Uganda and Burundi charge $87 for conference delegates.

Hotel Association of Tanzania chief executive officer, Ms Lathifa Sykes, said organisers are now diverting conferences that were earlier confirmed to take place in Tanzania.

“There has already been a cancellation of a June meeting scheduled for Tanzania, and which would have drawn 200-250 delegates. The meeting has been shifted to Uganda.”

“Uganda and Rwanda are being considered countries with best conferencing tourism attractions. The visa decision will therefore see more organisers opt out of Dar es Salaam and Arusha” she told The Citizen in a telephone interview last week.

On Wednesday however, Mr Irovya said he was surprised to hear the complaints because the charges were not unique to Tanzania alone. “Many countries around the world charge these kinds of fees and we have done it under the law,” he said.