Tourism has become Tanzania’s largest foreign exchange earner, surpassing gold for the first time. According to the Bank of Tanzania’s latest Monthly Economic Review, tourism revenues totalled $3.92 billion in the year ending May 2025, up from $3.63 billion the previous year. This growth accounts for more than half (55.1%) of all service-related income and highlights the sector’s increasing economic impact.
International arrivals reached 2,170,360, up from 1,961,870, fuelling the rise in earnings and edging past gold exports, which stood at $3.83 billion. To support continued sector growth, the Bank of Tanzania introduced policy changes on 8 July 2025, exempting tour operators from select foreign exchange regulations. Operators can now use foreign currency to pay for services for non-resident tourists and to purchase specialised vehicles locally—moves welcomed by industry stakeholders as critical to maintaining competitiveness.
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