Tanzania Introduces New Passenger Tax Raising Travel Expenses For Tourists

Published on August 26, 2025

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – Tanzania is rolling retired a caller levy connected incoming world aerial travellers, pinch nan complaint to return effect connected November 1, 2025. The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) instituted nan interest to finance cutting-edge airdrome technologies for upgraded separator controls and sharper search of rider records. Although nan stated privilege is to reenforce separator security, nan argumentation will inevitably adhd to nan fares of those landing successful nan East African nation.

The fee, formally designated nan Passenger Facilitation Fee (marketed arsenic VI Tax), has been group astatine USD 45 for a azygous limb and USD 90 for a return connected each world passenger. Carriers will adhd nan sum to airfares astatine nan clip of booking aliases check-in, putting nan load straight connected nan buyer. The rider organization is apprehensive, and nan country’s tourism representatives interest nan caller complaint will widen nan costs obstruction astatine a clip of vulnerable economical bouncing backmost for nan region’s tourism.

Purpose of nan Tax: Modernising Airport Systems

The TCAA has stated that nan proceeds from nan VI Tax will beryllium utilized to money nan installation and attraction of an Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS) and an Electronic Border Control System (eBCS). These systems are designed to amended migration controls and guarantee information privateness and cybersecurity compliance. Tanzania has faced challenges owed to nan absence of these systems, which were flagged during a 2023 information audit by nan International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The implementation of these systems intends to supply semipermanent benefits by streamlining migration processes and improving information astatine Tanzanian airports. However, nan TCAA noted that nan precocious costs of implementing and maintaining these systems, including information processing and compliance pinch regulatory standards, has led to nan preamble of nan tax. Without nan further funds, it would beryllium difficult to support these systems sustainably.

Who Is Exempt from nan Tax?

While nan caller taxation will impact astir world travellers, definite groups will beryllium exempt. Infants nether 2 years old, hose unit members, and passengers who are involuntarily rerouted owed to formation changes will not beryllium required to salary nan tax. The VI Tax will beryllium collected astatine nan constituent of waste and will beryllium intelligibly displayed connected nan ticket. Passengers who cancel their trips aliases do not usage their tickets will person afloat refunds for nan taxation paid.

Impact connected Tanzania’s Tourism Industry

Tourism is 1 of Tanzania’s astir important industries, contributing importantly to nan country’s overseas speech earnings. The caller taxation comes astatine a clip erstwhile Tanzania has already introduced a mandatory recreation security interest for world visitors. The recreation security fee, group astatine USD 44, is expected to return effect successful January 2026, further adding to nan costs of visiting Tanzania.

Many tourism experts and stakeholders person expressed interest astir nan effect of these caller taxes connected Tanzania’s tourism sector. The operation of nan mandatory security interest and nan caller Passenger Facilitation Fee could consequence successful an further USD 200 aliases much successful recreation costs for visitors to Tanzania. This value summation could make nan state a little charismatic destination for tourists, particularly erstwhile compared to different East African countries pinch much affordable recreation options.

Could These Taxes Affect Tourism Growth?

Tanzania’s tourism assemblage has been experiencing maturation successful caller years, attracting world visitors to research its renowned earthy wonders, specified arsenic Mount Kilimanjaro, Serengeti National Park, and Zanzibar. However, pinch nan summation of caller taxes, tourism experts person raised concerns astir nan imaginable antagonistic effect connected visitant numbers.

Sean Mendis, an aviation master and erstwhile COO of Africa World Airlines, highlighted that though these taxes whitethorn beryllium justifiable for information reasons, their precocious rates mightiness beryllium seen arsenic a revenue-generating maneuver nether nan guise of improving airdrome systems. The caller fees could lead to a emergence successful airfares for tourists, which whitethorn consequence successful little discretionary recreation growth, particularly for budget-conscious travellers.

The preamble of these taxes could deter immoderate world tourists, peculiarly those who whitethorn beryllium connected nan obstruction astir visiting Tanzania owed to rising costs. This is particularly existent for travellers coming from regions pinch already precocious recreation expenses, specified arsenic Europe and North America.

Tanzania’s Growing Focus connected Aviation and Tourism Infrastructure

Despite nan concerns, nan authorities views nan caller taxation arsenic basal to modernising Tanzania’s aviation infrastructure and enhancing nan information of aerial recreation successful nan country. With a increasing attraction connected processing nan aviation sector, Tanzania is investing successful precocious technologies to negociate rider accusation and amended migration processes, ensuring that nan state remains compliant pinch world standards.

For those readying to sojourn Tanzania, it is important to beryllium alert of nan caller taxation and its imaginable effect connected recreation costs. While nan volition down nan interest is to heighten airdrome information and streamline migration controls, nan added disbursal could impact nan wide affordability of recreation to nan country.

Looking Ahead: Will nan New Tax Have a Lasting Impact?

Tanzania’s push to modernise its aviation web now includes nan caller Passenger Facilitation Fee, a move nan authorities argues is captious for boosting information and tightening world regulatory compliance. Still, really this levy will play retired complete nan longer haul for nan tourism assemblage is difficult to gauge. As nan other complaint is woven into nan recreation routine, nan state must find nan correct equilibrium betwixt financing upgraded runway lights and terminals and keeping Kilimanjaro trekking, Zanzibar formation time, and Serengeti migration safaris wrong nan budgets of holidaymakers and escapade seekers worldwide.

Operators, recreation planners, and nan holidaymakers themselves will watch whether nan interest noticeably alters aerial summons pricing aliases nan wide Tanzanian vacation bill. The authorities insists that a modernised aviation footprint is simply a ceiling nan tourism system must reach. The situation is to guarantee that this ceiling is raised without nan level of nan manufacture sagging dangerously low.