The celebration of Europe Day in Tanzania highlighted the strong partnership between the European Union (EU) and Tanzania, particularly in the areas of tourism, business, trade, development, and humanitarian aid.
The European Union Ambassador to Tanzania and the East African Community, Ms. Christine Grau, emphasized the importance of this cooperation during the Official Europe Day 2024 Reception in Dar es Salaam, underscoring Europe’s role as Tanzania’s primary development partner.
“The European Union is a strong partner of Tanzania and I would just like to provide a few examples of the multiple dimensions of our partnership. We are partners in trade and business. The European Union is the fourth largest market for Tanzania’s exports,” the Ambassador said.
“Tanzania has a trade surplus with the European Union, also due to the strong tourism from the European Union: EU citizens are by far the largest group of tourists coming to enjoy the beauty of this country,” she added.
The EU Ambassador also informed the guests who were invited, which included all the resident ambassadors from EU member states, the American Ambassador to Tanzania, and other diplomats who were representing their respective countries in Tanzania, that European companies have been making greater investments in Tanzania, prioritizing quality investments that are environmentally friendly, respectful of the local population and their rights, and have a long-term investment perspective.
“The European Investment Bank is very active in Tanzania and is listening to your calls for soft loans that can boost your capital investment,” she said.
Tourism stands as the dominant industry linking Tanzania and Europe, with over half of the affluent tourists originating from European countries. The primary sources of European tourists visiting Tanzania annually include the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, and the Scandinavian states. Furthermore, Europe plays a crucial role in providing essential air connections between Tanzania and various global tourist and travel markets.
Additionally, the United States serves as another significant contributor to the tourism sector in Tanzania, particularly for leisure and vacation purposes.
Tanzania’s tourism sector is experiencing a notable resurgence, bouncing back from the decline it faced during the COVID-19 pandemic almost four years ago. Recent data indicates that tourism has made a remarkable comeback, with foreign exchange earnings projected to reach $3 billion by 2023, surpassing the previous year’s $2 billion.
Ms. Grau stated that the EU intends to conduct a comprehensive partnership dialogue with the government of Tanzania in the upcoming months, using the Samoa Agreement as its foundation. This agreement is centered around six crucial priorities, which include sustainable economic growth and development, environmental sustainability and climate change, human rights, democracy and governance, peace and security, as well as human and social development.