Tanzania's tourism earnings hit record $4bn on safari boom
Tanzania's tourism earnings have surged to a record of more than $4 billion, underscoring the East African country's rise as one of the continent's leading travel destinations.
According to the Bank of Tanzania, tourism receipts exceeded $4 billion in the year ending February 2026, with earlier figures putting revenue as high as $4.2 billion — the highest in the country's history — driven by a steady climb in international arrivals.
The growth has been powered by Tanzania's world-famous attractions: the Serengeti, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Mount Kilimanjaro and the beach and resort sector on Zanzibar. Increasingly, the industry is pivoting toward luxury fly-in safaris, private wildlife experiences and sustainable, conservation-led tourism.
Tanzania has also collected a string of international accolades, with the Serengeti named the world's leading national park and the country recognised as a top global safari destination, boosting its profile among high-end travellers.
The government has set ambitious targets for the sector to contribute a growing share of GDP, betting on premium tourism to drive foreign-exchange earnings and jobs. The performance mirrors a wider shift across African destinations toward luxury wildlife travel amid a slowdown in some long-haul markets.
