The primary industry of the region is agriculture, with large vegetable and flower producers sending high-quality produce to Europe. Small-scale agriculture was badly hit by the coffee crisis of recent years and is now largely subsistence farming. Arusha has several factories including a brewery, Tyre and fiber board plant, and a large pharmaceuticals maker.
The region around Arusha is the sole source of a gem-quality mineral called Tanzanite, currently produced in large quantities by corporate mining concerns.
Tourism is also a major contributor to the economy in Arusha, being the second largest contributor of income in Tanzania. Given the town's location near some of the most popular national parks and game reserves in Africa including Selous National Park (one of the largest national parks in the world), Serengeti National Park, Kilimanjaro National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area among others, Arusha has become a popular staging point for tourists visiting Tanzania and East Africa for photo safaris and hiking treks to Mt. Kilimanjaro. Many documentary and feature-length films have been set in and around Arusha, including the 1962 Howard Hawks film Hatari! with John Wayne.
Arusha is home to the offices of the East African Community, and plays host to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights, all of which contributes to the local economy.
The famous Arusha International Conference Center, host to many international meetings, is located here
