Tanzania is famed for its stunning natural scenery, ranging from beaches of Zanzibar and the coast, to the unique wildlife of the Serengeti National Park. Above all, Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s largest peak, sits just inside the border with neighbouring Kenya, and is famed as the world’s tallest free-standing mountain.
But for too long, Tanzania’s tourism sector has suffered from its relative inaccessibility from major Western European and North American markets, where infrequent direct flights have added to a prospective tourist’s travel expenses.
But that now looks set to change. Last month, British Airways announced a new direct flight from London to Kilimanjaro, and onwards to Zanzibar. Launching in May 2027, the route, which will run three times per week, will enable British visitors to access Tanzania’s most famous tourism hotspots during the peak summer season.
The move was praised by Tanzanian Prime Minister Mwigulu Nchemba at the recent Tanzania Investment Forum in London, who noted the strong “potential for tourism” the flights open up. Indeed, the announcement looks to be a watershed for Tanzania’s tourism industry, opening the jewels in its crown to the lucrative British market.
It’s no accident that British Airways has identified Tanzania as an attractive opportunity for business expansion, and over the last decade, Tanzania’s tourism industry has grown prodigiously.
International arrivals to Tanzania have surged 78.6% over the period 2016-2025, and in 2025, the figure reached 150% of pre-Covid 2019 levels. This points to the long-term strength of the sector outside of short-term market trends.
In fact, in 2025 international tourist arrivals reached 2.29 million, bringing in over 4 billion US dollars to the local economy. Crucially, the average daily spend per international visitor increased by 19% compared to 2024, to $289 per person per night. This is indicative of the wealthier tourism segment Tanzania is increasingly attracting.
Tanzania’s tourism success story is underpinned by a significant influx of investment into the sector. In March 2026, Tanzania’s Minister for Labour and Investment Sharrif Ali Sharrif announced Zanzibar had registered 45 investment projects worth over USD 218 million in the first 100 days of the new government’s term. This brought investment into Zanzibar’s tourism sector approved under the current administration to USD 6.9 billion, underscoring the Tanzanian government’s backing for the local tourism sector.
And for visitors to Zanzibar, the evidence is visible. 2026 alone will see the opening of the Catalonia Grand, Le Meridien and Iberostar Selection hotels on Zanzibar, with the opening of an Anantara and a Four Seasons resort expected in 2027. In 2030, Minor Hotels’ NH Collection is expected to open on Pemba Island, broadening the international tourism footprint onto the rest of the Zanzibar archipelago.
It’s a similar story for Mount Kilimanjaro, where a major update to the Kilimanjaro International Airport can underpin a significant growth of tourism to the region. Tipped to be completed by 2027, the airport is planning to nearly double annual passengers to 1.5 million by 2030.
The project is not merely a boon for tourism companies and tour guides, but will instead have a significant positive impact on the local community. According to an SNV study, 28% of tourism revenue generated on Mount Kilimanjaro reaches lower-income local communities, significantly higher than the 19% average for the wider area. The government is, therefore, targeting a significant growth in tourism to Mount Kilimanjaro to underpin the region’s wider development.
Investment into Tanzania’s top tourism hotspots is not only good for attracting foreign visitors. Following a series of government reforms in 2023, the Zanzibar Investment Promotion Authority has played a key role in transforming the island into a rapidly developing business hub, and oversees a number of Special Economic Zones that offer generous tax breaks and favourable regulations to promote investment in strategic sectors.
Meanwhile, the Mount Kilimanjaro International Conference Centre, which is based in nearby Arusha and will boast capacity for approximately 5,000 delegates, is currently under construction, and is tipped to become the largest conference centre in the country. The government’s tourism investment strategy is, therefore, closely linked with its ambitions to make Tanzania the region’s premier destination for foreign investment.
But the Tanzanian government’s ambitions expand beyond tourism to its two major hotspots. As announced at London’s Tanzania Investment Forum by Prime Minister Nchemba, Tanzania is targeting “referral, medical tourism” to add another string to the bow of its international offering.
Tanzania’s medical tourism offering brought in approximately $63 million in 2025, amounting to 20% of the East African medical tourism market. What’s more, from 2021 to 2025 the number of international patient arrivals to Tanzania more than doubled to 12,180.
British Airways’ announcement of a new flight from London to Tanzania is a significant milestone in the growth of Tanzania’s tourism industry, but it’s built on the sector’s consistent growth over the last decade.
Thanks to targeted investment in the infrastructure required to support luxury international visitors, Tanzania’s tourism industry looks set to continue its growth, supporting further local economic growth and the government’s development agenda.
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