PRIME Minister, Mr Mizengo Pinda, has told
the National Assembly that the government envisages invigorating the
tourism sector in a quest to make it the money spinner it used to be in
yesteryears.
Already, a wide range of tacks are under consideration. These include
translating some of the Tourism Board websites from English to French
German, Chinese and Spanish -- an appropriate move that will help lure
more visitors into the country's tourism spots.
This is, to say the least, a brilliant idea. The tourist sector has
seen a notable increase of arrivals in recent years, but there is room
for much more. Last year a total of 1,135,884 tourists visited wildlife
sanctuaries and other attractions as compared to the 1,077,058 arrivals
in 2012.
In fact, the government envisages creating a friendlier tourism
climate that would see the number of arrivals climbing to 1.6 million
visitors annually by next year. Going by statistics at the moment,
Ngorongoro Crater is the most popular spot that attracts more than
500,000 visitors a year.
The mighty Serengeti appeals to an average total of 350,000 tourists a
year and Mount Kilimanjaro receives 55,000 climbers each year. The
government, however, should realise that not enough effort is made to
advertise Tanzania as a leading tourism destination.
Last year Serengeti National Park was crowned as the best of the
Seven New Natural Wonders of Africa. A further three Tanzanian entries
got respectable slots in continental rankings.
Indeed, this was a real cause for celebration - and it remains so.
Ngorongoro Crater, which is affectionately known as 'The Bowl' in the
parlance of lovers of nature, got a slot among the seven winners.
The list also included Mount Kilimanjaro, which has over the years
appealed to climbers from home and abroad. But while we praise the
Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism for its quest to double the
number of tourist arrivals by 2015, we tend to forget the stark fact
that the nation has too few hotel beds and other facilities And most of
its feeder roads are impassable during the rainy season. Others are
simply an annoyance.
They are so rugged. Some have potholes large enough to hide a lion.
An influx of tourists might worry the government if prerequisite
preparations are not accomplished. So, preparations and vigorous
advertising are of paramount importance.
Kenya, which logs 1.5 million tourist arrivals every year, will keep
sprinting ahead in the tourism industry if too little or nothing is done
to sell Tanzania as a tourist destination more vigorously.
This effort is praiseworthy but the wanton killing of wildlife
continues. Efforts to flush the notorious poachers out of our national
parks and bring their nefarious activities to a complete halt appear to
flop. The crusade seems to be a tall order for the government. Well, the
criminals must be defeated, come what may.
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