Tanzania’s Ambassador to France and Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Saidi Othman Yakubu, has commended the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism for its efforts to protect the country’s World Heritage Sites while harnessing their potential to drive tourism and economic growth.
Ambassador Yakubu made the remarks on Monday, August 31, 2026, after meeting the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Hassan Abbasi, to share his observations from a recent tour of some of Tanzania’s key heritage and tourism sites.
The working visit, organised by the ministry and conducted between August 14 and 28, took him to Kondoa, Ngorongoro, Serengeti, Kilimanjaro, Kilwa, Zanzibar and Selous.
During the tour, the ambassador met conservation and tourism stakeholders and assessed ongoing efforts to preserve Tanzania’s natural and cultural heritage, improve tourism infrastructure and enhance the economic value of the sites.
He said the visit had given him a first-hand understanding of the progress being made in conservation and tourism development, noting that Tanzania’s heritage sites had the potential to deliver wider economic benefits to citizens.
“I have witnessed the tremendous work being done by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism and its institutions to protect our World Heritage Sites and promote tourism,” he said.
“These sites are not only a source of pride for Tanzania, but are also valuable resources that can continue attracting tourists and investment, creating jobs and increasing national revenue.”
Ambassador Yakubu said the experience gained during the tour would also strengthen Tanzania’s engagement with UNESCO, particularly on conservation, heritage management and sustainable development.
He said effective cooperation between national institutions and UNESCO was important in ensuring that Tanzania’s World Heritage Sites were protected while their tourism and economic potential was responsibly developed.
Dr Abbasi, for his part, commended Ambassador Yakubu for undertaking the tour and promoting Tanzania’s heritage and tourism opportunities internationally.
He called for stronger collaboration between the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Tanzania’s Permanent Mission to UNESCO and conservation institutions to enhance the protection and sustainable use of the country’s heritage resources.
The government has increasingly positioned Tanzania’s natural and cultural heritage as an important pillar of tourism development, with the sector contributing to employment, investment, foreign exchange earnings and local economic activity.