Feature: Tanzanian students embrace Chinese language as tourism boom drives demand

Abstract : Seated in a modest classroom, Tanzanian tourism student Noel Ivon Isack intently traces Chinese characters in his notebook. The 19-year-old aspires to leverage his new language skills to build a career to guide visitors through Tanzania's renowned wildlife reserves and scenic beaches.

Farida Sebastian Masalu, campus manager of the National College of Tourism, is interviewed in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on April 8, 2025. With a growing influx of Chinese tourists, Tanzania's state-run tourism college has launched Chinese language courses in collaboration with the Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam to nurture future industry professionals. Of the 531 students currently enrolled, 215 have chosen to study Chinese. (Xinhua/Emmanuel Herman)

by Xinhua writers Hua Hongli, Lucas Liganga

DAR ES SALAAM, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Seated in a modest classroom, Tanzanian tourism student Noel Ivon Isack intently traces Chinese characters in his notebook. The 19-year-old aspires to leverage his new language skills to build a career to guide visitors through Tanzania's renowned wildlife reserves and scenic beaches.

"I want to make Chinese visitors feel at home," said Isack, a third-year student at the National College of Tourism (NCT) in Dar es Salaam. "Most of them only speak Chinese, so if we want them to enjoy Tanzania, we must speak their language."

With a growing influx of Chinese tourists, Tanzania's state-run tourism college has launched Chinese language courses in collaboration with the Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam to nurture future industry professionals. Of the 531 students currently enrolled, 215 have chosen to study Chinese.

"It is a game changer," said Farida Sebastian Masalu, the campus manager. "We want to give our students a competitive edge as Tanzania strengthens ties with China."

Since 2023, Tanzania has ramped up efforts to attract Chinese visitors. One major step was launching the promotional film Amazing Tanzania in Beijing in May 2024, featuring President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Zanzibar's President Hussein Ali Mwinyi, and Chinese actor Jin Dong.

"These initiatives promote Tanzania's tourism and deepen the friendship between our countries," Masalu said.

Tanzania is already seeing results. According to Ephraim Mafuru, director general of the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB), arrivals from China jumped from 44,000 to 62,000 in the past nine months.

"Our goal is to attract at least 1 percent of China's international travelers," said Ephraim. "That is 1.3 million tourists, and we are just getting started."

To support this ambition, the TTB has partnered with local institutions like NCT to provide Chinese language training for tour guides and workers in the broader tourism value chain.

"The language barrier remains one of our biggest challenges," Mafuru said. "But we are working on it. Chinese visitors will feel much more comfortable being welcomed in their language."

According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Tanzania received over 5.36 million tourists in 2024, including 2.14 million international visitors. The country earned about 4 billion U.S. dollars in tourism revenue that year, a significant increase from 2023, Minister Pindi Chana announced in February 2025.

Pan Lei from "Fashion Tourism," the first Chinese tourist company in Tanzania, told Xinhua that Tanzania boasts some of the world's richest wildlife resources, including the Great Migration in the Serengeti plains. It is also home to Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, and Zanzibar, the pearl of the Indian Ocean.

"This is just the beginning," said Mafuru. "China is an essential part of our strategy to grow tourism in the years ahead."

Back in the classroom, 28-year-old student Rajabu Almasi sees the Chinese language as more than just a skill. He sees it as an investment. "You cannot ignore China," he said. "If we want to succeed in tourism, we need to understand our guests, their language, their culture, and their needs."

Asha Fum Khamis, a Chinese language instructor assigned by the Confucius Institute to teach at NCT, echoed this sentiment. "I am not just teaching a language," she said. I am preparing these students for real opportunities, including jobs, partnerships, and cultural bridges."

Khamis said Chinese-speaking Tanzanians will soon be in high demand across the tourism sector, from tour guiding to hospitality and beyond.

"The wave is coming," she said with a smile. "Our students will be ready to ride it."

Tanzanian students attend a Chinese language class at the National College of Tourism in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on April 8, 2025. With a growing influx of Chinese tourists, Tanzania's state-run tourism college has launched Chinese language courses in collaboration with the Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam to nurture future industry professionals. Of the 531 students currently enrolled, 215 have chosen to study Chinese. (Xinhua/Emmanuel Herman)

Asha Fum Khamis (1st R), a Chinese language instructor assigned by the Confucius Institute, teaches Chinese language at the National College of Tourism in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on April 8, 2025. With a growing influx of Chinese tourists, Tanzania's state-run tourism college has launched Chinese language courses in collaboration with the Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam to nurture future industry professionals. Of the 531 students currently enrolled, 215 have chosen to study Chinese. (Xinhua/Emmanuel Herman)

Asha Fum Khamis, a Chinese language instructor assigned by the Confucius Institute, teaches Chinese language at the National College of Tourism in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on April 8, 2025. With a growing influx of Chinese tourists, Tanzania's state-run tourism college has launched Chinese language courses in collaboration with the Confucius Institute at the University of Dar es Salaam to nurture future industry professionals. Of the 531 students currently enrolled, 215 have chosen to study Chinese. (Xinhua/Emmanuel Herman)