Tanzania Tourism Overtakes Gold as Top Foreign Exchange Earner

Tourism has become Tanzania’s largest foreign exchange earner, surpassing gold for the first time. According to the Bank of Tanzania's latest Monthly Economic Review, tourism revenues totalled $3.92 billion in the year ending May 2025, up from $3.63 billion the previous year. This growth accounts for more than half (55.1%) of all service-related income and highlights the sector’s increasing economic impact.

International arrivals reached 2,170,360, up from 1,961,870, fuelling the rise in earnings and edging past gold exports, which stood at $3.83 billion. To support continued sector growth, the Bank of Tanzania introduced policy changes on 8 July 2025, exempting tour operators from select foreign exchange regulations. Operators can now use foreign currency to pay for services for non-resident tourists and to purchase specialised vehicles locally—moves welcomed by industry stakeholders as critical to maintaining competitiveness.

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Source: TNC