TANZANIA has made diplomatic history with the launch of its inaugural diplomatic safari and tour, a bold initiative by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation that takes up diplomacy with tourism promotion.

Dr Doto Biteko, the deputy premier and Energy minister, made this remark when wrapping up the just-ended tour which brought together 25 diplomats accredited to Tanzania.

Others were drawn from international organizations, converging for an immersive journey through the Serengeti National Park, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Zanzibar Stone Town in particular.

The DPM affirmed that the initiative is anchored in the framework of economic diplomacy as a strategy, reflecting the vision of elevating the country’s global image through strategic international engagement, espoused by President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

Ambassador Mindi Kasiga, the director of communication and public diplomacy said that the tour is a powerful tool to showcase our country’s beauty and deepen international partnerships.

Organized in collaboration with NMB Bank, Tantour Booking Initiative, the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) and the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism, the tour united public and private sector efforts in showcasing Tanzania’s tourism potential, she said.

In the Serengeti, diplomats stayed at the Serengeti Explorer Lodge and soared above the plains in hot air balloons with Miracle Experience Tanzania, witnessing a rare view of the Great Migration.

“Words alone cannot describe what we’ve seen,” said Léontine Nzeyimana, the resident Burundi ambassador.

At Ngorongoro, the group admired the conservation success of the crater’s rich biodiversity, where Yahya Okeish, the Saudi envoy, said that Tanzania is truly a country of wonders.

In Zanzibar, diplomats explored Stone Town, toured the Tanzanite Museum and ventured underwater near Bawe Island aboard a semi-submarine. Their final stop was Kizimkazi, President Samia’s birthplace.

The tour closed with a ceremony in Zanzibar, officiated by President Hussein Ali Mwinyi, who urged diplomats to become honorary ambassadors of Tanzania’s tourism.

Ahmada El Badaoui Mohammed Fakhi, the Comorian envoy and dean of the diplomatic corps, said there is no diplomacy without heritage.

Mudrik Soraga, the Tourism minister for Zanzibar, called for longer safari editions in future, “to showcase more of the Isles’ hidden gems.”

With tourism arrivals rising from 1.8m in 2023 to 2.1m in 2024 and revenues growing from $3.4bn to $3.9bn, the tourism strategy is yielding tangible results, the DPM noted.

The diplomatic safari and tour is set to become an annual event, with diplomats returning to their countries as convinced advocates for Tanzania — sharing a story of beauty, opportunity and remarkable class hospitality.