Tanzania: Locals Offered Deal to Scale Mt Kilimanjaro

Moshi — KILIMANJARO National Park (KINAPA) has intensified efforts to boost internal tourism by offering Tanzanians a day tour of Mount Kilimanjaro at half the price.

KINAPA Head of Tourism Department, Ms Eva Mallya, said that the aim is to unveil to locals the richness of the country's tourist attractions.

She said while the number of foreign tourists has been going up yearly, it is unfortunate that Tanzanians are not taking advantage of the attractions in their own backyard and trekking Africa's highest mountain.

"We have been receiving foreigners from different parts of the world to see the park and trek the mountain, but we are not happy with figures of Tanzanians who tour the park. We have thus come up with a new strategy by halving the price for locals," said Ms Mallya.

She said the special offer starts from May 15 to 18 this year for a day tour in which adults will pay only 5,000/- and children 1,000/- and there will be free transport from Fresh Coach Restaurant in Moshi Town and Kiwire Supermarket at Bomang'ombe, Hai District.

Ms Mallya said the offer includes nationals of East African member countries and hope after the tour they will turn out to be good ambassadors for KINAPA wherever they may be and that will boost tourism and consequently income. Those who will be going for the trip will be taken by vehicles up to Shira Plateau.

The area used to be the highest peak of Mount Kilimanjaro, but submerged a thousand years back to form the famous plateau. Tourists will have, however, to prepare their own food and other necessary gears from the trek along with the needed equipment and gadgets of choice.

She mentioned the registration centres for those wishing to take up on the offer as Fresh Coach Restaurant, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC), Same Stand at Himo Crossroad, Kiwire Supermarket and Kinapa at Marangu.

Shira Peak is unknown to many, as Mawenzi and Kibo appear to be more famous. The number of tourists KINAPA receives has gone up from an average of 25,450 in 2001/02 to 55,553 in 2012/13, but locals account to a mere four to six per cent of all the visitors.

Ms Mallya said it is all about people changing their usual way of spending weekends and that instead of going to some restaurants, bars or playgrounds they can make a difference to themselves and children by trekking Mount Kilimanjaro.