Tanzania continues to add locally manufactured boats to its tourism fleet

Home-based Tanzanian boat manufacturers Songoro Marine Transport Ltd Corporation, have built what is being described as one of the most technologically advanced locally-made boats in East Africa.
The Tawa Sea Cruiser, as it is called can accommodate up to 50 visitors at once.
This is coming a few weeks after Tanzania commissioned the MV Mwanza Hapa Kazi Tu, another locally-made cruise ship with a 1200 people capacity.

On March 14, Mohamed Mchengerwa, Tanzania's Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, will debut a contemporary boat that will be utilized for marine tourism in the Indian Ocean.

The purchase of the boat is part of President Samia Suluhu Hassan's commitment to developing tourism in the nation and is intended to help the industry attract five million visitors and generate $6 million in income by 2025. The boat was built by Tanzania’s Songoro Marine Transport Ltd Corporation, one of Tanzania’s premier boat building and repair companies.

The new cruise vessel has been aptly dubbed the Tawa Sea Cruiser, and it can accommodate up to 50 visitors at once. Mchengerwa asserts that having a tourist boat of one's own will aid the industry in boosting and promoting regional tourism by allowing visitors from various parts of the nation to visit and experience for themselves the various tourist attractions that Tanzania is endowed with and which are uncommon in many other parts of the world.

Mchengerwa further noted that the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA) has one of the most sophisticated boats, outfitted with cutting-edge technology to provide guests with an exhilarating trip. He noted that the boat's glasses had unique lenses that allowed passengers to comfortably view a variety of marine life.

This week alone, three ships carrying about 400 passengers from various countries landed in Tanzanian ports, which further re-iterates the rationale behind Tanzania building its own cruise ships. Tanzania’s blue economy, bolstered tremendously by its sister island, Zanzibar, which has been a major income stream for the East African region.

The country has brilliantly combined its wildlife reserves and its beautiful waters to create one of Africa’s most attractive tourist destinations, which is why it makes sense that Tanzania has its very own fleet of cruise ships.

Just three weeks back, it was reported that Tanzania had built East Africa's largest-ever locally made freshwater passenger and freight ship, the MV Mwanza Hapa Kazi Tu, on Lake Victoria. The ship, launched on February 12 at Mwanza South Port, can transport 1,200 people, 400 tonnes of cargo, 20 light cars, and three trucks. It is now 82% completed.