The Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) is set to step up measures to promote cultural and sports tourism as a way forward to attract more foreign tourists in the country. TTB Senior Public Relations Officer Geofrey Tengeneza told the ‘Daily News’ in an exclusive interview in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the board has been involved in various sporting activities for many years, but said not so much efforts have been put in place to promote it.

He said Tanzania is known for its sports activities starting from athletics, deep sea fishing, golfing, football, cricket, hockey, basketball and others Safaris undertakes transport, tours and safaris, pre and post sports activities.

“We need to put up more efforts to promote such sports. I believe we can do much better in water sports in the Indian Ocean, sporting tours, sporting safaris, football and athletics such as the annual Kilimanjaro Marathon, which attracts marathoners from all over the world,” he said. Tengeneza also pointed out the imposing New Stadium in Dar es Salaam as another milestone that would enable the body implement its strategies well.”

“We have already started to market the venue extensively through our website. We are also preparing presentations that would be distributed to various countries in the world, to lure them to set up camps in Tanzania should they qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa,” he said.

He further said that the board was making efforts to ensure that teams that would accept to camp in Tanzania are also availed with an opportunity to visit several tourist attractions in the country such as Kilimanjaro Mountain, the great Serengeti National Park and famous Ngorongoro Crater.

He also said tourists are also attracted to traditional games such as ‘BAO’, saying efforts to popularise it are being made by respective sport association. On cultural tourism Tengeneza said, the TTB had signed deal with the Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV), to support and promote cultural tourism in Tanzania. He said some 25 groups countrywide have so far benefited under the programme. Tengeneza further said that in a bid to ensure sustainable cultural tourism, the board has set up a special department in Arusha to coordinate cultural tourism.

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He further said that the board was making efforts to ensure that teams that would accept to camp in Tanzania are also availed with an opportunity to visit several tourist attractions in the country such as Kilimanjaro Mountain, the great Serengeti National Park and famous Ngorongoro Crater.
We are also preparing presentations that would be distributed to various countries in the world, to lure them to set up camps in Tanzania should they qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa,” he said.
TTB Senior Public Relations Officer Geofrey Tengeneza told the ‘Daily News' in an exclusive interview in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the board has been involved in various sporting activities for many years, but said not so much efforts have been put in place to promote it.