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IN BRIEF
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Tanzania has just shaken up the travel map: starting from 1.8 million visitors in 2023, it jumped to 5.36 million in 2024 — 2025 goal shattered, and with flair. Between electric safaris that glide silently through the Serengeti, new air connections (hello Kilimanjaro) and discreet escapes to the south, the country checks all the boxes of authenticity without the crowd. The result: more premium experiences, fewer frictions, and a safari-beach combo in Zanzibar that entices Europeans — French leading the way.
Tanzania is playing a disruptive role in global tourism by achieving a spectacular leap: in a year, the country has tripled its influx of visitors and surpassed the threshold of 5.36 million arrivals in 2024, exceeding its initial goal set for 2025. On the menu of this ascent: electric safaris that whisper in the savannah, new air connections that bring Kilimanjaro closer to Paris, and a skillful diversification towards southern parks. A dazzling success… which puts pressure on infrastructure, regulation, and road safety, while intensifying the regional rivalry with Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.
In 2024, Tanzania hit the jackpot: starting from about 1.8 million tourists in 2023, the destination has literally changed scale to exceed 5.36 million visitors. The benefits follow the same trajectory: nearly $4 billion in revenue compared to just over $3.3 billion a year earlier. The sector now accounts for around 17% of GDP and has become the third largest employer in the country. An achievement that, elsewhere, would rather remind one of the post-pandemic records set by major European capitals, like the documented rebound in Paris (global return).
This boom is no accident. While others barricaded themselves, Tanzania kept its borders open during the health crisis, gaining a reputation as an accessible and flexible destination that endures. In 2025, as French travelers hunt for authenticity and flee the crowds, the country checks all the boxes: Intimate safaris in the South, eco-friendly experiences, and a credible alternative to the neighboring Kenyan destinations when some areas reach levels deemed unsustainable.
A supportive context and bold choices
French travelers play a driving role. The second largest European nationality on site, they favor the winning duo safari + beach offered by Zanzibar. Despite sometimes shorter stays and budget vigilance, demand remains robust: French international tourist revenues are up by about +13.7% in the first half of 2025, while the United States sees summer bookings drop by about -14%. East Africa, however, maintains the advantage: variety of landscapes, preserved nature, and the promise of unique experiences.
This shift fits into a global trend: tired of the crowds, travelers seek out gems and hidden treasures, as is also observed in Europe (examples in Italy). Behind the scenes, pressure on tourism accommodation and regulations evolve rapidly in many countries (tourist rentals: regulations), following the staffing and offer shortages noticed as early as summer 2023. For Tanzania, this is a window of opportunity: to capture the demand for breathing space.
Closer skies: the air offensive
Air France, Ethiopian, and Flightlink reshuffle the cards
November 2024: Air France inaugurates a Paris–Zanzibar–Kilimanjaro route, replacing Dar es Salaam. A masterstroke: direct access to northern Tanzania, where about 70% of safari activity is concentrated. For the French, no more juggling connections via Addis-Ababa or Nairobi: they land almost at the foot of the roof of Africa.
Sharpened strategy: the airline pauses Zanzibar during the green season (March to May), when the rains deter beachgoers, to focus its flights on peak season. At the same time, Ethiopian Airlines strengthens the game with a second daily flight from Addis-Ababa, and the Tanzanian Flightlink is negotiating a direct Paris–Kilimanjaro line departing from Orly, aiming for about 20,000 to 25,000 passengers during peak season (June to February). The result: every hour saved becomes a powerful argument against Kenya, which is better endowed in infrastructure.
Electric safaris: the silence that changes everything
The muted revolution of the Serengeti
On the tracks of the Serengeti, a whispered revolution is underway: electric 4x4s sneak by silently, allowing close encounter with wildlife withoutscaring lions, elephants, and leopards. Silence becomes a promise of pure emotions: observing a hunt without the roar of a diesel engine, it’s another world. The improvement of battery autonomy has made this bet possible.
Perfect timing: about 63% of French travelers say they want to travel more sustainably in 2025. By focusing on quality rather than volume, Tanzania stands out in a market where animals are everywhere, but where the experience matters more than ever. Does an electric safari cost more? Yes. But it attracts a premium clientele, willing to pay for a reduced environmental impact and an indelible memory.
The southern Tanzania, the anti-crowd that elongates the trip
Ruaha and Nyerere, the other face of the savannah
In the South, the parks of Ruaha and Nyerere (former Selous) offer the antidote to photographic traffic jams: they host in a year the equivalent of the visitors that the Serengeti can see in a single day. Here, encountering another vehicle is still exceptional. The government encourages this diversification: new airstrips, improved tracks, incentives for investment. The goal: to relieve the North and increase the average length of stay.
The calculation is simple: a traveler combining North + South stays on average 12 days, compared to about 7 days for a circuit concentrated on the Serengeti. More nights, more spending, more local benefits: Tanzania bets on the breadth and depth of travel, not just on the number of entries to the park.
The pebbles in the shoe: costs, security, infrastructure
Additional fees and a few shadows
On the budget side, the bill can rise. In Zanzibar, a paid insurance certificate has become mandatory since October 2024, adding to a tourist visa around $50. In a battle where every dollar counts and where Vietnam or Polynesia gain ground, it’s important to keep a light hand on extra costs.
Security also requires vigilance: the border area of Mtwara, near Mozambique, remains discouraged due to sporadic armed activities, and night travel is not recommended. Another downside: Tanzania is among the countries with the highest road mortality rate, which can deter some independent travelers.
Infrastructure, Achilles’ heel of a lightning success
The rise to prominence exposes fragilities: a lack of mid-range hotels, roads sometimes impassable during the rainy season, internet that is fickle outside major areas. The stated ambition — to aim for up to 8 million visitors by 2030 and revenues that could flirt with very high horizons — entails massive investments. Already, the United Arab Emirates are injecting billions into a project in Loliondo, and China is financing a geopark in the Ngorongoro. Welcome capital, but it raises debates about the development model and the preservation of spaces.
East African rivalries and competitive advantage
Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda: each with their trump card
Kenya maintains an edge in infrastructure and seasoned marketing; Rwanda cultivates a luxury offer around gorillas; Uganda is strengthening its adventure segment. To stay ahead, Tanzania must capitalize on its unique diversity: safaris, beaches, mountains — and vast areas still largely preserved. The challenge: manage growth without repeating the mistakes of parks that, in peak season, turn into open-air parking lots. An endurance race, not a sprint, as evidenced by European destinations negotiating their own balance with visitor flows (alert on overtourism).
An assured trajectory towards 2030
Experience quality and upgrading
With 5.36 million visitors in 2024 and a path set towards 8 million by 2030, Tanzania proves that an African destination can triple its attendance without sacrificing the experience. The winning trio — electric safaris, strengthened air connections, opening up the South — serves as an accelerator. The next step remains to orchestrate the follow-up with finesse: better distribute the flows, invest in mid-range hotel capacity, deploy reliable tracks and digital networks, all while preserving what makes the heart of the country beat: the feeling of being, truly, close to nature.
