ARUSHA Region has witnessed significant growth in tourism, thanks to the Royal Tour documentary.
Taking stock of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s two years in office, Arusha Regional Commissioner (RC) John Mongella revealed that the 2.0 billion US dollars (about 5tri/-) sector was growing in leaps and bounds and has had a ripple effect on the region’s economy since the film’s launch in April last year.
While singling international airlines touching down at the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA), Mr Mongella was also quick to point out potential investors streaming into the country as another manifestation of the effect of the documentary.
“You can all bear witness to this, the regional trade and investment docket has been awash with names of investors wishing to open up shops in Arusha,” explained the Regional Commissioner yesterday.
The regional boss highlighted major strides made through improvement of key road networks in Arusha.
One of the roads that come to the fore according to the regional commissioner is the Arusha bypass.
Launched by the Heads of State of the East Africa Community (EAC) in July last year, Mr Mongella noted that the stretch has saved commuters a great deal of time that would have otherwise get wasted when accessing the CBD.
“It has significantly cut down the time for commuters,” he explained.
Mr Mongella further noted that the Arusha Bypass will not only enhance trade between Tanzania and Kenya, but will also facilitate trade for landlocked regional neighbors, namely Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to Regional Commissioner, it was rewarding to see Arusha progressing economically as Dr Samia clocks two years in the country’s top most office.
Despite the success seen in the past year, Mr Mongella observed that there was a lot for the region to fully develop.