DAR ES SALAAM, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The Tanzanian authorities said Monday that plans are at the final stages to introduce the first-ever modern 50-seater tourist boat in the Indian Ocean to boost water tourism.
A statement by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism said the locally-made boat owned by the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA) will be launched by Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism Mohamed Mchengerwa.
The boat, called TAWA Sea Cruiser, has been made by Songoro Marine Transport Limited, East Africa's boat building and repairing company with over 20 years of experience, said the statement.
"The boat has been fitted with modern equipment, including a magnifying glass, which will enable tourists to see marine resources and species, including coral reefs, whale sharks, sea turtles, and coelacanth," said the statement.
The statement added that some of these marine species, including coelacanth, have been declared as rare species by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
According to the statement, the introduction of a tourist boat in the Indian Ocean is part of efforts by the Tanzanian government to increase the number of tourist arrivals to 5 million and earnings from the sector to 6 billion U.S. dollars by 2025.
