29/10/2017
Tanzania: Govt to Inject 300bn/ – for Southern Tourism Circuit Development
THE government, through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, plans to inject more than 300 billion/- to open up the Southern Tourism Circuit in effort to expand geographical coverage of local attractions.
“When you talk about tourism in Tanzania, 90 per cent of the industry seems to be pivoted in the Northern Circuit, especially Serengeti, Mount Kilimanjaro and Ngorongoro Crater,” said the Minister for Tourism and Natural Resources, Dr Khamis Kigwangalla when addressing members of staff at the Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) Headquarters here.
Dr Kigwangalla was of the view that the Southern Circuit not only has the country’s largest National Park, Ruaha, but also the Udzungwa range of mountains whose forest cover has more variety of tree species than the Amazon Forest.
“Not to mention the Eden of flowers, the colourful Kitulo National Park, abundant ecological features and the highest concentration of wildlife especially elephants and lions,” maintained the Tourism Minister, adding that the Northern Circuit is already overwhelmed.
Dr Kigwangalla said the country’s vision to record 2.2 million tourists annually can only be achieved through diversification of products, including opening up more areas through widening geographical coverage, improving ground services and speeding up the process of issuing tourism visas at entry points.
According to the Minister, the country receives around 1.2 million tourists per year and almost all of these end up in the Northern Circuit where sometimes eight tourist vehicles gather at one spot for the occupants to get a glimpse of a single lion.
“But in Ruaha National Park, a single tourist will be surrounded by more than eight lions for his viewing pleasure,” he said, reiterating that, the country needs to seriously open up and support tourism industry down south in order to diversify the industry and its geographical coverage.
The proposed 300 billion/- will be invested in improving infrastructure and other amenities needed by visitors as well as to highly promote the southern parts of Tanzania including its rich culture, friendly people and cuisine.
“And, our tourism industry seems to be focused mostly on wildlife, but the country has rich resources and culture to guarantee more attractive features.” Dr Kigwangalla lamented the slow pace of tourism growth.
“Our visitors’ traffic increases by a margin of just 100,000 tourists per year; in 2015 we had 1.1 million visitors; last year 1.26 million and this year, possibly we may end up with 1.3 million tourists.”
Earlier on, the TANAPA Director General, Dr Allan Kijazi, told the Minister that already 100 members of staff at the headquarters in Arusha had compiled some of the suggestions and ideas to improve services and these will be presented to him (Kigwangalla) before he returns to Dodoma at the end of this week.
I think the economic of nation will grow well,things to consider is to have a law which will be used to preserve our resources.
Tourism should be the backbone of the state economy but its contribution since way back it’s like a “crazy head” no proper policy reform, poor strategic focus to deal with the pestimisim in this sector! Now it’s your turn Hn.Minister of this forgotten sector with a Medicine degree we need you to verify to Tanzanians that your a Dr. and it’s time to apply medicine to a critical patient in ICU no bla bla we’re real tired of poverty!
