Sustainable tourism infrastructure accelerates rate of economic growth through the tourism sector, which is estimated to have generated USD 2.6 billion in 2019 before COVID-19, and USD 1 billion in revenues in 2020 (14). Tanzania could use this potential to position itself in view of the competition in the region and utilize its competitive advantage of being the first in Africa and 12th worldwide for the quality of its community- nature-based tourism resources, and 32nd in Africa and 112th in the world for its cultural resources (33).

Hotels, lodges and campsites promote rural development through employment of local communities in such facilities, residents selling products and services directly to tourists (31, 32). They reduce pressure on people and the planet through effective conservation measures and sustainable exploitation (30).

Excessive levels of touristic interventions may cause damage to the environment and wildlife as well as disturb cultural and traditional practices of communities, if the number and tourism infrastructure is not well managed (3, 4, 7, 8).

If the communities' interest and priorities are not take into account sufficiently, touristic infrastructure may not experience a significant uptake and / or benefit the communities, which may limit the expected impact.

Skill gap among service providers, such as technicians, may limit the impact of the tourism infrastructure. The number of technicians graduating from technical institutions in the tourism sector is still very low compared to the demand. This has resulted in companies having to employ unskilled to low skilled staff and offer on-the-job training (17).

Support sustainable practices in tourism and strengthen local value chains serving the tourism industry.

Tanzania Tourism Policy, 2021: Outlines the government's commitment to promote diversified tourism products and associated services, including infrastructure facilities (5).

Tanzania Tourism Master Plan, 2002: Emphasizes that the government is committed to promote tourism infrastructure, such as hotels, lodges and campsites, particularly targeting the Southern Circuit as a result of the saturation of the Northern Circuit (7).

Third National Five-Year Plan (FYDP 3), 2021: Outlines the government's plan to promote tourism as one of the sub-sectors that integrates more than one services, notably accommodation services, food, local culture and natural endowments, transport, information and communication (4).

Financial inceptives: The World Bank has offered a credit of USD 150 million to Tanzania to operationalize the REGROW project, which focuses on the promotion of alternative livelihoods for household around the protected areas of the Southern Circuit, including community-based tourism products. There is a special embedded package for identifying suitable joint economic opportunities between investors and communities (21).

Fiscal incentives: Tanzania offers import duty and VAT exemption on deemed capital goods, including building materials, utility vehicles and equipment. This applies to tourism infrastructure, among others (22).

Tourism Act, 2008: Provides the institutional framework, administration, regulation, registration and licensing of tourism facilities and activities, and for related matters (18).

Tanzania Investment Act, 1997: The Government allows private entities to utilize public-private partnership models to invest in hotel construction, leisure parks, ground golf courses, conference tourism, air/ground transport, wildlife farming, tour operations, trophy hunting, sea and lake cruising, deep sea fishing, development of ecotourism activities, beach tourism, and cultural and historical sites (28).

Four Points by Sheraton, Best Western, Gran Melia Hotels and Lodges, BlueBay Hotels & Resorts, Fairmont, Golden Tulip, Hilton Hotels. Millennium, Nikko Hotels International, Sopa Hotels, Serena Hotels.

Ministry of Tourism and Natural Resources Management (MNRT), Tanzania Wildlife Authority (TAWA), Ministry of Economy and Finance, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Tanzania Tourism Board (TTB).

World Tourism Organisation, Global Tourism Council, World Bank Group (WBG), African Development Bank (AfDB), World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), World Tourism Forum Institute.

Tanzania Wildlife Protection Fund, Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania, Community Wildlife Management Areas Consortium (CWMAC), Tanzania Association of Tour Operators, Hotels Association of Tanzania (HAT), Tanzania Natural Resource Forum (TNRF).

Chumbe Island Ecotourism is a PPP between the government and a special purpose company, Chumbe Island Coral Park Ltd. (CICP), to restore the coral reef that was endangered by overfishing and unsustainable fishing practices.

Tanzania has 16 national parks, one conservation area, 17 game reserves, several marine parks, a coast and lake zone and several other tourism attractions spread across the country, where sustainable tourism infrastructure can be offered (23).

Selous Game Reserve is the largest fauna reserve in the world, spanning over 55,000 km2. Mikumi National Park offers a unique wildlife experience with a large number of herbivores and a rich variety of bird species. Ruaha National Park, is the second largest park in Tanzania, with miombo woodland, acacia grasslands, and large baobab trees. Udzungwa National Park is one of few “World Biodiversity Hotspots” and one of 200 World Wildlife Federation ecoregions of global critical importance (26).

Olduvai Gorge is the birthplace of human kind. It was here, in the early twentieth century, that the famous archaeologist Dr. Louis Leakey uncovered some of the earliest remains of fossil hominids. Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa's highest mountain and one of the continent's magnificent sights. Serengeti National Park is one of the world’s most iconic wildlife conservation areas. Ngorongoro Crater is a rare protected area where people and wild animals co-exist in harmony. Ngorongoro is technically a “caldera”, the largest sunken ancient caldera in the world. Estimated three million years old, the once-volcanic Ngorongoro is now considered one of “Africa’s eighty wonders” (26).