DAR ES SALAAM, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Tanzania Marine Park and Reserves Unit (MPRU) said on Friday it has put in place strategies aimed at increasing the number of foreign tourists visiting the marine parks from 45,000 to 70,000 annually.
John Komakoma, the MPRU Acting Manager, said the strategies included a focus on tourism marketing on emerging new tourism markets while continuing to strengthen existing markets.
"As we are part of the government's massive tourism promotion, we will continue to improve the tourism infrastructure," said Komakoma.
The official said MPRU was collaborating with state-owned Tanzania Tourist Board and other tourism stakeholders both within and outside the country to prepare and distribute different tourism promotion strategies and materials to cater for different customers.
He said another strategy involved collaboration with international media outlets and major TV stations or programs to produce promotional footage that catered for specific countries with major international languages.
Komakoma said tourists visiting Tanzania's marine parks came from China, Switzerland, Germany, Britain, the United States, Canada, Russia, among others.
"These tourists come to enjoy beaches, sandbanks, historical monuments, coral gardens, the whale sharks of Mafia Island Marine Parks and the sea turtles of Maziwe Island," said Komakoma.
Currently there are three marine parks and 15 marine reserves in Tanzania under the supervision of MPRU.
