President Samia receives Tanzania’s prestigious World Travel Awards

ZANZIBAR-Her Excellency Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania,today received, in a ceremony held at Tunguu State House, Zanzibar, three major international tourism awards won by Tanzania at the 2025 World Travel Awards.

The awards were presented to the President by the Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Hon. Dr. Ashatu Kijaji (MP), on behalf of the government and national tourism stakeholders.

Of the three, the most prestigious award, World’s Leading Safari Destination, was conferred at the World Travel Awards Grand Finals 2025 convened in the Kingdom of Bahrain on 06th December, 2025.

Other contestants in this category were Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

In addition, Serengeti National Park was named World’s Leading National Park 2025,emerging ahead of internationally renowned protected areas such as Kruger National Park in South Africa and Yellowstone National Park in the United States.

Tanzania also won Africa’s Leading Destination 2025 during the World Travel Awards Africa & Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony, which was held on 28th June, 2025 in Dar es Salaam,competing with several top tourism destinations across the African continent.

President Dr. Samia commended institutions and professionals in the tourism and conservation sectors for safeguarding national attractions and strengthening Tanzania’s international tourism profile.

She said the achievements reflect Tanzania’s natural endowments, sustained conservation

efforts and strategic promotion of tourism products, adding that the country’s diverse

landscapes, abundant wildlife, water bodies, and peaceful and hospitable people continue to attract visitors from across the world.

The awards reaffirm Tanzania’s position as a leading global destination for nature-based tourism and underscore the government’s commitment to conservation, destination competitiveness and sustainable economic growth.

In another development, Zanzibar has also won the Africa’s Best Corporate Retreat Destination in December, 2025, underscoring national pride and Tanzania’s continued rise as a world-class tourism destination.

Tanzania’s outstanding performance was further reflected in its overall success at the

World Travel Awards, where the country won a total of 45 awards at the Africa level, encompassing both public and private sector institutions from Mainland Tanzania and

Zanzibar.

Several other notable awards were secured by flagship attractions and private sector operators, including Serengeti National Park as the World’s Leading National Park,Serengeti Balloon Safaris as the World’s Leading Balloon Safari Operator, and Thanda

Island (Mafia) as the World’s Leading Exclusive Private Island, underscoring the depth and diversity of Tanzania’s tourism offerings.

Established in 1993, the World Travel Awards are among the most respected global benchmarks in the travel and tourism industry, recognising excellence through votes from travel professionals, industry stakeholders, and consumers worldwide, with an award signifying strong international confidence in a destination’s quality, sustainability and visitor experience.

Tanzania’s recognition in 2025 as the World’s Leading Safari Destination and Africa’s

Leading Destination, together with Serengeti National Park being named the World’s Leading National Park, reflects the country’s strong competitive position in nature-based tourism and conservation.

These accolades highlight the global appeal of Tanzania’s wildlife assets and reinforce tourism’s critical role in economic growth, foreign exchange earnings, employment, and

public revenue.

According to the Bank of Tanzania, the sector recorded a strong performance including a 9.02 percent annual increase in tourist arrivals to hit a 2,097,823 mark and a record USD 4.2 billion in revenue, in 2025, a ride from USD 1.3 billion realised in 2021.