HONORABLE PROFESSOR JUMANNE MAGHEMBE, MP NEW MINISTER OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND TOURISM, THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, Jan. 20, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Honorable Professor Jumanne Maghembe was appointed the new Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism of the United Republic of Tanzania by the newly elected Tanzania President, H.E. Dr. John Magufuli.

Having previously served as Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism from October 2006-February 2008, Hon. Prof. Maghembe brings to this position a keen knowledge and understanding of the tourism industry. He fully recognizes the critical importance of the Industry to Tanzania's economy as both a foreign exchange earner and a job creator.

As new Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Hon. Prof. Maghembe announced that the government will be increasing the budget for tourism in an effort to attract even more tourists to Tanzania, looking to double this sector's GDP contribution from $2 billion to $4 billion over the next two years.

"Increasing the tourism budget will enable the Tanzania Tourist Board to adopt more innovative strategies in order to compete more effectively in the marketplace, leading to an increase in Tanzania's market share of tourists," said Hon Prof. Maghembe. "Currently, Tanzania only attracts about 1.1 million tourists annually, but with new initiatives, we are aiming to grow the number of visitors worldwide to 3 million in the next two years," added Hon. Prof. Maghembe.

Hon. Prof. Maghembe noted that Tanzania views the U.S as one of its most important tourism generating markets and looks forward to launching new marketing platforms that will lure even more American visitors to Tanzania.

Prior to this appointment, Hon. Prof. Maghembe also served as Minister of Water and Irrigation from February 2012-November 2015; Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Cooperatives from November 2010-February 2012; Minister of Education and Vocational Training from February 2008-November 2010; Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism from 2006-2008 and Minister of Labor, Employment and Youth Development from January 2006-October 2008. Hon. Professor Member has been a Member of Parliament for Mwanga since 2000.

Hon. Prof. Jumanne A. Maghembe is a renowned scholar who taught at the University of Dar es Salaam and at Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania as Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Forest Biology for fifteen years. He was a Fulbright Scholar and Associate Professor of Tropical Forest Science at the Department of Forest Science, College of Forestry, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon USA and Affiliate Professor of Wildlife Resources at the Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA.

Hon. Prof. Maghembe spent 15 years as a Principal Scientist at the International Center for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF). During his scientific career, Professor Maghembe published over 65 scientific papers in international journals and served as Member of the Editorial Boards of the Journals (i) Forest Ecology and Management published by Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam and (ii) Agroforestry Systems published by Kluwer Science Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.

ABOUT TANZANIA

Tanzania, the largest country in East Africa, is focused on wildlife conservation and sustainable tourism, with approximately 28% of the land protected by the Government, the largest percentage of any country in the world. Tanzania was named by The New York Times as one of the "52 Places to Go In 2015" and "Best Places To Travel In 2015" by Travel + Leisure. The Tanzania Tourist Board won the Bronze Award for "The Best Tourist Board – Africa" at the 2016 Travvy Awards presented annually by Travel Alliance. Tanzania boasts 16 National Parks and 31 game reserves, 50 Game Controlled Areas, one special Conservation Area (the Ngorongoro) and three Marine Parks. It is home to the tallest mountain in Africa, the legendary Mt. Kilimanjaro; The Serengeti, home to the "Great Animal Migration"; the world acclaimed Ngorongoro Crater, often referred to as the "Eden of Africa" and the "8th Wonder of the World"; Olduvai Gorge, the cradle of mankind: the Selous, the world's largest game reserve; Ruaha, now the second largest National Park in Africa and also featured on Afar Magazine's "2015 Where to Go" list; the spice islands of Zanzibar; and seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Most important for visitors, the Tanzanian people, with a rich history and diverse blend of cultures, are warm and friendly. Tanzania is an oasis of peace and stability with a democratically elected and stable government.

For more information on Tanzania, visit www.tanzaniatourism.com and Tanzania Tourist Board's free Destination Tanzania travel app "Official Tanzania Tourism" (compatible for iPhone, iPad & Android devices) available on Google PlayStore.

Official Tanzania Tourist Board Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TanzaniaTouristBoard/

Official Tanzania Tourist Board Instagram: @TanzaniaTourism

Photo: Hon. Professor Jumanne A. Maghembe, MP
Minister of Natural Resources & Tourism
The United Republic of Tanzania

A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=38561