Tour operators welcome new tourism legislation

From Arusha, Adam Ihucha reports, at the Guardian, that “The government has won many hearts of local tour operators for introducing legislation to restrict foreigners to involve in tourism transactions.In their comments made separately to this paper, the operators said the proposed new legislation anticipated to be in force by early next year was much overdue. ‘Now we are heading to the right direction, in fact the move by the government is highly appreciated,’ said Firoz Suleiman, Director of Sunny Safaris. He proposed that taxes accruing from the tourism industry should be paid according to the law of the land.The Managing Director of Golden Rose Travel and Tours Company, Walter Maeda commended the Government for eventually acting in a ‘better late than never’ style. He said neighbouring Kenya’s tourism authority barred foreigners from dealing with all tourism related undertakings long ago. ‘The secret behind the flourishing tourism business in Kenya is that the industry is fully run by indigenous people,’ he remarked. Maeda says until the new legislation comes into force, ‘Tanzania policy allows foreigners to invest in petty businesses such as restaurants and guest houses and yet be entitled with the title, investor,’ Maeda noted.Armstrong Nyaka of Jackis Tours was happy that at last the government had wakened up and seen the way it has been loosing a large chunks of cash accrued from the tourism trade. ‘A lot of money has been secretly siphoned out of the country by foreign tour and travel operators who maintain offices in Tanzania and abroad at the expense of the nation and its people,’ he said.Carlos Da Silva Verela of African Rhino Safaris and Ecotourism Africa said the majority of small indigenous investors in tourism used to face stiff competition brought by the foreign investors.”Source: IPPMEDIA

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