The Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) is courting foreign and domestic investors with fresh investment opportunities across the country’s 21 national parks, as part of its high-profile participation in the Zanzibar Investment Summit 2025, which opened this week on Pemba Island.
The three-day summit, held for the first time in Zanzibar’s second-largest island, aims to position the archipelago and by extension, mainland Tanzania as a strategic destination for capital, tourism, and sustainable development.
The event was officially opened by Zanzibar’s President and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council, Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi, who underscored the government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for private sector investment.
“This summit offers an important platform to showcase the diverse economic opportunities across Zanzibar and the mainland, particularly within our protected national parks,” President Mwinyi said, highlighting the critical role of conservation-linked investments in driving inclusive growth.
TANAPA’s presence at the summit signals a growing interest in leveraging Tanzania’s natural assets including wildlife, forests, and ecological landmarks as catalysts for tourism-driven development.
The agency highlighted a portfolio of investable projects, particularly in eco-lodges, visitor infrastructure, and tourism services, aligned with global trends in sustainable travel.
Representatives emphasized the diversity and uniqueness of Tanzania’s protected areas, which span vast ecosystems featuring endemic species, mountain ranges, savannahs, and freshwater systems. Investment, they argued, is not only profitable but central to conservation and job creation.
In a pitch to attendees from across Africa, the Gulf, Europe, and Asia, TANAPA called on investors to “become ambassadors of conservation,” encouraging increased tourist visits and international partnerships.
This aligns with Tanzania’s broader strategy to raise tourism’s contribution to GDP and diversify its foreign exchange earnings base.
Running under the theme “It’s Pemba’s Time”, the summit convened stakeholders from the tourism, agriculture, blue economy, infrastructure, and trade sectors.
Delegates included senior government officials, private equity firms, multilateral agencies, and venture capital funds, all seeking scalable opportunities in East Africa’s growing economies.
The event concludes today, June 17, 2025, with project showcases and deal signings expected to follow in its wake.