ABSTRACT:

Domestic tourism is practiced worldwide. It greatly contributes to the number of visiting tourists and the national economy. However, it is still invisible and undocumented by researchers. This study intended to bridge this gap of knowledge by investigating the factors influencing domestic tourism using Arusha City, Tanzania as a case study. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative methods in data collection. A sample of 80 people from eight different institutions was selected from a total population of 400 employees.  The sampled population responded to the questionnaires handed out to them. Semi-structured interviews were also used to get opinions from the sampled stakeholders. The study found that there is a relatively high tax rate in the country compared to the other neighboring countries’ safaris. The collective opinion of the respondents indicated that the cost charged for tourism services is generally un affordable. It was also revealed that though there are adequate local food sat low prices in the Arusha Region, the cost for food and drinks at attraction sites was found unaffordable. The study also found that there is still low awareness of the available tourists' attractions. This could be the reason why few families do visit tourism destinations at least once a year, implying that children denied discovering their passion for traveling to different destinations. The study concluded that the domestic tourism sector still faces challenges such as low awareness, poor quality of services provided to domestic tours, and few people having less interest in visiting the tourist attraction. The study recommends increased awareness on part of the policymakers, involvement of many stakeholders in the tourism sector, and academic institutions to develop new programs which allow students to have time to visit different attractions present in their region to instill enthusiasm in tourism.