By Maureen Odunga
TANZANIAN tourism sector is set to go a notch higher with the country's Embassy in China in partnering with 17 high-end tourist companies to initiate a special programme.
Under the programme, postcards will be used to promote the sector in the vast Chinese market.
According to Tanzanian Ambassador to China, Mr Mbelwa Kairuki, among the companies involved include a leading tourist company which is responsible for transporting tourists abroad, the International Travel Services (CITS).
Ambassador Kairuki explained that under this arrangement of using the postcards, the Ambassador and a representative from Ethiopian Airlines will sign the postcards which will then be sent to Tanzania via the airline company.
He went on to reveal that representatives from the 17 high-end tourist companies who are set to climb Mount Kilimanjaro are anticipated to arrive at the peak on January 1, 2021 and they will take photos with the postcards.
Equally, the postcards will be sent back to China and distributed to 4000 premiere customers of the high-end tourist companies during the Chinese New Year which will be marked from February 11 to 17, 2021.
"Besides promoting the country in the Chinese market, the involved companies will be in a better position to exhibit their love and vigilance to its customers who were not able to travel outside China due to the Covid-19 outbreak." the Ambassador said.
He asserted that the act of taking the postcards on top of Mt Kilimanjaro on January 1, 2021 will instill a sense of hope to the customers that the New Year is going to offer blessings and fulfillment of many set goals, which include being able to travel outside China again after a long time of staying within the country's borders.
Recently, Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's rooftop, once again emerged as a special attraction in China and Asia.
The recognition followed Tanzania's tour operator, Zara Tours scooping the Best Mountain Tourism Award in the 2020 International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA) in Guyang.
Recently, China pledged to resume its programme of bringing 10,000 tourists to the country next year when the Covid -19 pandemic is contained globally.
Zhejiang Province Director for Tourism and Culture, Mr Chu Ziyu made the assurance during a meeting with Tanzania's Ambassador to China, Mr MbelwaKairuki in Hangzhou City.
Ambassador Kairuki said that Zhejiang Province and Tanzania have agreed to strengthen cooperation in tourism and culture.
According to Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB), more than 10, 000 tourists from China are expected to jet in Dar es Salaam between February and March this year following an agreement signed in 2018 between TTB and Touchroad International Holdings Group of China.
In the past two years, TTB focused on attracting more tourists from China, including making a major tourist tour in Tanzania known as 'roadshow' in various cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Nanjing and Changsha.
The board also signed an agreement with Touchroad International Holdings Group to bring 10,000 tourists from China, coordinating journalists and famous people tours, and a trip of 11 people from Baidu companies and others.
But, the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus late last year led to the suspension of the programme as among measures taken to prevent and control the spread of coronavirus to other nations.
In April this year, the government suspended all international flights as one of the measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
But in May, Tanzania opened its airspace for commercial, diplomatic, aid, emergency and special mission flights following a steady slowdown in the novel virus.
Tanzania reopened its airspace for international passenger flights on June 1, this year, after a 3-month stint of Covid-19, becoming the pioneer country in East Africa to welcome tourists to visit its endowed attractions.
Since then, the number of arrivals has continued to increase, with several airlines resuming operations.
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