Tourism has officially become Tanzania’s leading source of foreign exchange, surpassing gold for the first time in years and marking a major milestone in the country’s post-pandemic economic recovery.

According to the Bank of Tanzania’s (BoT) Monthly Economic Review for June 2025, tourism revenues reached $3.92 billion in the year ending May 2025. This represents a steady increase from $3.63 billion the previous year and now accounts for 55.1% of all service-related receipts.

By comparison, gold exports—long considered Tanzania’s top foreign exchange generator—brought in $3.83 billion during the same period.

BoT attributed the strong performance to a significant surge in international arrivals, which rose to 2,170,360 visitors, up from 1,961,870 the year before.

The figures highlight a robust rebound in Tanzania’s tourism sector and underscore its growing importance in the national economy.