EL AL Israel Airlines gave the Tanzanian
tourism industry a fantastic Christmas and New Year's present in
mid-December when they flew in tourists from Tel Aviv, to Kilimanjaro
International Airport.
There were more than 150 visitors on board the flight. The tourists
from different backgrounds included 10 disabled people, and journalists
from various Israeli mainstream media outlets such as Israel Today,
Latest News, TV Channel II, TV Channel 10 and National Geographic.
Speaking to East African Business Week in Arusha, Ms. Ronit
Hershkovitz, Managing Director of the Menelik Safari Company who
coordinated the trip said the flights from Israel to Kilimanjaro will
continue this year. The flight takes about five hours.
Starting from April 2014, El Al will be running four flights each
month (once a week) in April, May, June, July, August, September and
December between Tel-Aviv and Kilimanjaro. These are expected to bring
more than 6000 tourists from Jerusalem every year.
The demand for passenger seats has been growing fast to service the
lucrative Kilimanjaro route as the destination continues to attract new
visitors to its world class attractions scattered all over Tanzania's
northern zone. The region has become a popular choice for conference
organizers.
The route will offer Israeli visitors a one-stop service solution and
give a big shot to the Tanzania travel and tourism sectors with the
numbers of visitors expected to rise in the short term.
Ms. Ronit who also toured the Tanzania tourism wonderlands with the
visiting tourists was optimistic that many Israelis will choose to come
to Tanzania because of its authentic tourism products and services.
"I am extremely satisfied and I am sure all Israelis back home will
be happy to come and see what I saw!" she told East African Business
Week.
Besides flying tourists from the Holy Land, Ms. Ronit hinted that El
Al intends to pick up Tanzanians or East African travellers heading for
pilgrimages to Jerusalem.
"We have been experiencing a number of Tanzanians, as well as East
Africans who travel to the Holy Land for pilgrimage. This is also a
niche market for our direct flights," she said.
Tanzania's tourism industry contributes nearly 17% of GDP, far more
than the minerals sector, which however is also set to increase in the
near future.
On the sidelines of the launch, Willy Lyimo, Arusha Branch Manager
for the Tanzania Tourist Board said for long periods,visitors who come
into the country mostly came from the United States, the United Kingdom
and other European countries hence the breakthrough in the Middle East
was extremely important to the growing local tourism industry.
The tourists from Israel stayed in Tanzania for two weeks, with the
handicapped persons taking the challenge of scaling the 5895 metre Mount
Kilimanjaro, the highest peak on the continent,.
Geoffrey Tengeneza, the Principal Public Relations Officer with the
Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB). said the rest of the group visited
Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park and Lake Manyara.
Lyimo spoke enthusiastically about the new developments, including
the potential benefits in which the new route offers with numerous
socio-economic benefits (revenues accrued through hotel's services, car
hire, curio shops and so on), arising from tourist's businesses in
Tanzania.
The Tanzanian northern zone boasts of Kilimanjaro, the highest
freestanding mountain in Africa, the Serengeti plains and Ngorongoro
both command a big number of visitors, as well as Arusha, Tarangire,
Lake Manyara and Mkomazi parks. This includes the wealth of cultural
insight and heritage in Tanzania's prominent tribes, and the huge Arusha
International Conference Centre (AICC) based in Arusha.
Apart from the tourism industry Tanzania northern zone also has
precious mineral resources (including Tanzanite, which is found nowhere
else in the world), thousands of livestock, a robust horticulture
industry that adds, value to the quality of life of the people and
revenues in the Tanzania national cake.
Lyimo explained that there are clear key indicators, to be realized,
such as: increase of flight frequencies, flexibility for travellers
(broaden traveller's choice), reduce the average travel and transition
time, helping to market the route's attractions, connect with park's air
crafts at ease, spur growth of businesses among East Africa's member
states, increase competitiveness which will point to lower tariffs and
improved services.
He underscored the importance that El Al , which is Israel's national
carrier, will provide especially linking travellers from the Middle
East and other new markets that the Tanzania Tourist Board is trying to
reach out to popularize the destination. Lyimo is hopeful about the
growth of the tourism industry and he sees the entry of El Al as an
indication that the Tanzania tourism is primed to benefit from global
tourism travellers from major tourist markets around the world.
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