Tanzania — TANZANIA is seeking to attract at least one per cent of Russia’s 13.4 million outbound travellers as it steps up efforts to diversify tourism source markets and tap into one of the world’s highest-spending visitor segments.
The push comes as tourism authorities seek to leverage planned direct flights, economic diplomacy and targeted marketing campaigns to raise Tanzania’s profile among Russian travellers.
Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) Director General, Ephraim Mafuru, said during the ongoing St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2026) in Russia that the country aims to attract one per cent of Russia’s 13.4 million outbound travellers, equivalent to about 134,000 tourists annually, within the next ten years.
“In our long-term plans, we aim to reach that number in the next 10 years so that the tourism sector contributes more than one billion US dollars from the Russian market alone,” said Mr Mafuru.
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The country, he said, is targeting a share of those travellers due to their strong spending power, particularly in luxury tourism and premium travel experiences.
Mr Mafuru said at the Tanzania pavilion that President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s recent visit to Moscow demonstrates the practical use of economic diplomacy to attract investors and create new economic opportunities.
Ministry of Tourism data shows that last year some 12,000 tourists from Russia visited Tanzania.
President Samia’s entourage includes leaders and senior executives from strategic sectors such as infrastructure, tourism and mining, reflecting a broader effort to strengthen economic diplomacy and deliver tangible national outcomes through such international engagements.
TTB research shows that long travel distances have been a key barrier limiting the number of Russian tourists visiting Tanzania.
However, Mr Mafuru said the introduction of direct flights by Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) early next month is expected to significantly reduce travel time and increase travel demand among Russian tourists interested in the country’s attraction.
According to Ambassador John Ulanga, Director of International Trade and Economic Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, the announcement that ATCL will start flights to Russia immediately attracted interest from about 20 tourism companies seeking to explore the country’s tourism sector.
“Immediately after the announcement of the direct flights, several Russian tourism companies flocked to the TTB pavilion at the St Petersburg forum. This is a positive early signal,” Amb Ulanga said yesterday in Dar es Salaam.
TTB expressed confidence that stronger bilateral cooperation and targeted tourism promotion strategies would position Tanzania to benefit more from Russia’s growing outbound tourism market.
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