How did Zara Tours overcome the covid-19 crisis?

Tanzania has been hobbled by an economic slump, thanks to a brutal wave of coronavirus that pushed a significant number of businesses to close shops, driving millions of people into poverty.

To deal with this unprecedented situation, I used domestic tour packages to keep people engaged, working and surviving. I successfully manage my tourism company through this time when travel restrictions shut down many organizations, especially those who serve the travel and tourism industry.

While the method of attracting local tourism was a needed method, my overall business model has always centred on creating jobs, building environmental health, and supporting the most marginalized local population through education and resources. Indeed, Zara Tours employs over 1,400 workers.

Thus, my innovative and sustainable business model have kept jobs alive and fought climate change, as well as uplifted and impacted hundreds of marginalized women in the tourism host communities of Tanzania.

That is why I was named as one of the top 100 executives by the Eastern Star Consulting Group in 2021 for my role in supporting Tanzania's economic recovery in the devastation of the pandemic. The only woman recognized in the top 100 list, surrounded by peers in the multi-billion dollar industry, my business savvy and big heart stand out.