In the bid to promote tourism in Tanzania, the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) in partnership with Witch & Wizard Creative (Pty) Ltd, South Africa, today have signed a contract to establish an International Tourism Fair in Tanzania to be known as Swahili Tourism Fair effective from October 2^nd -5^th, 2013. The signing ceremony held at the Mlimani City Conference Centre in Dar es Salaam. The signed contract allows TTB to work with Witch & Wizard Creative (Pty) Ltd, which is the company that manages the INDABA Tourism Fair in Durban (South Africa). The Fair [INDABA] is one of the largest tourism marketing events on the African calendar and one of the top three ‘must visit’ events of its kind on the global calendar. INDABA is owned by South Africa Tourism Board and attracts well over 13,000 delegates from various travel, tourism and related industries around the world. It is expected that the Swahili Tourism Fair will grow and eventually become as famous as the INDABA of South Africa and will hence be the iconic annual event for travel and tourism promotion in Tanzania.

The planning for Swahili Tourism Fair has taken cognizance of the continued existence of Karibu Travel & Tourism Fair (KTTF) which has been running in Tanzania since the year 2000, and the need to ensure that, the two fairs complement each other.  KTTF which is held in Arusha in June each year focuses on the regional market, while the Swahili Tourism Fair will be held in Dar es Salaam in October each year and will exclusively focus on international clientele. TTB undertakes to work with KTTF to ensure that the same KTTF grows and attracts more regional clientele so that in the long run, Tanzania may join other countries in the world in promoting events tourism with more than one international tourism fair.

During the event the guest of honor the High Commissioner of South Africa in Tanzania, Hon Thanduyise Henry Chiliza Said that “this event is a results of our good relationship and I’m proud to see the interaction between these two parties [TTB and Witch & Wizard] that have decided to co-operate in establishing this Swahili International Travel and Tourism Fair”.

The Chairman of Tanzania Tourist Board commented that “As globalization, the World is getting like a small village; We have decided to work with Witch & Wizard (Pty) Ltd because they are professionals and for many years we have been attending the INDABA, so we have enough experience  with their work”.

However, the Director of Tanzania Tourist Board, Dr. Aloyce K. Nzuki elaborated the benefit of hosting such event in Tanzania that, it will be an advantage to create awareness of Tanzania to International Travel & Tour operators around the global, it will give greater chance for Tanzanian Tourism Stakeholders who had never attend to other international Travel and Tourism Fair to meet with foreign Tourism stakeholders, through this event other industries such as Transportation, Accommodation Facilities, Warehouses Investors and Building contractors and many others.