Dar es Salaam — The turn-out of exhibitors and tourist agents has thrilled the Tanzania Tourist Board --- organisers of the just-ended Swahili International Tourism Expo (SITE 2017) ---- energising the board into planning another expo next year.

he Chairman of the TTB Board of Directors, retired Judge Thomas Mihayo, told journalists in Dar es Salaam that the turnout, views of exhibitors and agents who attended the exhibition that ended on Sunday has given TTB the desire of planning another exhibition.

"I am satisfied with the heightened level of this year's exhibition. Things worked the way we planned. Our many exhibitors presentedwonderful tourist products; some actually sold products while others offered services right here. We wind up this exhibition while simultaneously planning the one to be held next year," he said.

Some 200 tourist agents met established and new tourist companiesduring the exhibition, brightening Tanzania's future tourism prospects. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAND) and the World Bank say "the value of revenues derived from tourism has also increased (over the years)."

Mr Mihayo said a review meeting will recommend how to address identified weakness before the next expo is held. "We are human organisers. Our new challenges are those things that weren't perfect.

They will be addressed before the next show because we do not want a repeat of black spots."

TTB Managing Director, Ms Devota Mdachi, described the show as having come of age because, she said, many traditional cultural products were on show and that the world must have appreciated that "we are becoming seasoned organisers of this kind of events. Remember we have had three expos since 2014and this one attracted some 200 tourist agents from the world over."

Further, she said, varied tourist entrepreneurs took advantage of the expo to expose their products to the world.

The Arusha Urban MP, Mr Godbless Lema, said Tanzania will make greater strides in promoting tourism by reviewing taxes and levies paid by tourists. "We can reduce these taxes and levies paid by tourists and get their money through the food they buy, hotels and tour safaris."

The show drew participants from Nigeria, Morocco, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Mauritius, South Africa, Malawi, Ethiopia, Namibia, Zimbabwe and India and drew tourist agents from India, United Kingdom Ethiopia, Germany, Morocco and United States.