DODOMA – President Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania has received commendation from a spectrum of religious leaders following her influential address at the 23rd World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit held in Kigali, Rwanda.

According to NAM News Network, Peace and Human Rights, President Samia’s remarks were particularly impactful. Bishop William Mwamalanga, the committee’s chair and leader of the Pentecostal Church in Tanzania, delivered a statement in Dodoma praising the President’s speech for elevating the status of Tanzania and the African continent, and for its anticipated positive effect on the tourism sector.

Bishop Mwamalanga emphasized that President Samia’s oration provided significant educational insights into global tourism and travel, encouraging clerics to support her progressive measures to enhance the country’s visibility. The Bishop relayed commendations from Sheikh Ramadhani Saed, who, after attending the summit from the United Kingdom, expressed his admiration for President Samia’s presentation and encouraged Tanzanians to back her initiatives.

In her speech, President Samia underscored Africa’s wealth of natural and cultural tourist attractions, highlighting Tanzania’s 21 national parks, such as Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater, extensive game reserves and forestry reserves, and a rich tapestry of over 120 tribes with distinct cultures, along with the famed Zanzibar Islands. She pointed out that Tanzania’s bountiful resources are a microcosm of what the entirety of the African continent has to offer.

Tourism plays a crucial economic role in African nations, contributing up to 17.2 percent of Tanzania’s GDP and 25 percent of the nation’s total export earnings. President Samia outlined the vast potential of tourism in fostering economic development and generating employment opportunities across the continent.

She called attention to the significant considerations and questions that African governments need to address to harness the full potential of the tourism industry. President Samia also acknowledged the indispensable role of the private sector and the importance of cooperation between the government, private entities, and non-profit organizations in the growth of the economic sector.

This meeting and subsequent accolades come at a pivotal time as African countries, including Tanzania, look to tourism as a major driver for economic growth and international economic engagement.