DAR ES SALAAM, May 5 (Xinhua) -- At least 15 countries from across the world are expected to participate in Karibu Kili Fair, an international tourism fair, to be held in Tanzania's safari capital of Arusha from June 7 to June 9, an official said on Sunday.

Dominic Shoo, coordinator of the fair, said the participation of foreign countries in the fair will help promote the east African country's abundant tourism attractions.

The official said more than 400 local exhibitors of tourism attractions will be joined by other participants from the 15 countries.

"The tourism fair has the character of a business networking event for the tourism industry," Shoo told a news conference.

Victor Kitansi, a marketing officer with the Tanzania National Parks, said the state-owned wildlife conservation organization will continue supporting the tourism fair for the benefit of the country.

Tourism is the largest foreign exchange earner of Tanzania, contributing an average of 2 billion U.S. dollars annually, which is equivalent to 25 percent of all exchange earnings, according to the government data.

It also contributes to more than 17 percent of the national gross domestic product and creating more than 1.5 million jobs, 500,000 of which are direct.

A report released in June 2017 rated Tanzania's tourism industry as one of the fastest growing sectors in the country with figures showing a surge on tourist arrivals.

The 2016 International Visitors' Exit Survey Report indicated that the number of tourists who visited the country continued to rise. Enditem

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