Tanzania and Kenya Border
Tanzania Tourist Board say no to the opening of Kenyan entry point
DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (eTN) - Tanzania’s official tourism institution, the Tanzania Tourist Board (TBT), has resounded no to Kenyan tourist business umbrella organization, Kenya Association of Tour Operators (KATO) over the opening of the controversial tourist entry point of Bologonja in Serengeti National Park.
Tourism officials in Tanzania’s capital city of Dar es Salaam told eTN Wednesday that the Bologonja border entry, which allows tourist vehicles to cross into Tanzania’s northern and famous tourist park of Serengeti, remains closed since its closure in 1977 with little or no hope of seeing it opened.
The tourism board issued a media alert this week telling tourists visiting the East African region about the official routes to pass through when they enter this country from neighboring Kenya on road, advising them not to cross through Bologonja entry point inside the famous wildlife park of Serengeti.
The TBT, which is the official institution to market and promote Tanzania’s tourism and other assignments in tourist development, has taken an apparent move this week to clarify a circular issued by Kenya Association of Tour Operators (KATO) informing its members that the controversial entry point was on opening process.
Since the entry point between Kenya and Tanzania was closed 32 years ago, Kenyan tour operators have been lobbying for its opening so as to allow their vehicles to enter the Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area and other parks in northern Tanzania tourist circuit.
The circular was circulated as an e-mail message to all KATO members last month telling them that an agreement has been reached to open up Bologonja gate to allow tourists from
Kenya to enter Serengeti through the Kenyan crossing of Sand River.
It further told Kenyan tourist members that decision to open the Bologonja/Sand River crossing will dramatically reduce the travel time between Maasai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya and the Serengeti in Tanzania and signify a new official border crossing between Kenya and Tanzania.
The circular said that Kenyan Wildlife and Tourism Minister Najib Balala announced the new development on the opening of the Kenyan/Tanzania entry after he obtained confirmation about the opening of the controversial tourist-crossing border from immigration chiefs from both Kenya and Tanzania.
It said that initial inquires to confirm the actual situation on the ground reveals that there is full deployment of immigration staff on the Kenyan side at Sand River, whereas they are yet to be deployed on the Tanzanian side.
Responding to the Kenyan tourist operators umbrella association’s circular, the TBT said the e-mailed was misleading since there was no agreement of any kind reached to open the Bologonja/Sand River border point, a situation that would distort, confuse and creating inconveniences to tourists visiting Serengeti in Tanzania and Maasai Mara in Kenya.
The agreed and designated border point that is currently being used to cross by road from Maasai Mara to Serengeti is Isebania/Sirari outside the Serengeti National Park and that is now being commonly used by all tour operators from Tanzania and Kenya.
The TBT’s officials said all diplomatic missions, within and overseas, tourist representatives, tour operators, travel agents, operators of tourist accommodation establishments, transporters and tourists should know that the Sand River and Bologonja border crossing point connecting Maasai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya and Serengeti National Park in Tanzania is not open.
Esteemed clients were also notified that Tanzania has no intention of re-opening the Bologonja border point. The entry point will remain closed for environmental reasons.
The fragile ecosystem of the area, which is a World Heritage Site, cannot be sacrificed for the purpose of shortening the route between Maasai Mara and Serengeti National Park, the Board officials said.
The TBT further advised tourists entering Tanzania to go through designated border posts or regional towns.
According to the Tourism Co-operation Agreement between the United Republic of Tanzania and the Republic of Kenya following the Arusha Summit Communiqué of November 16th, 1983, Article X(b), tourists shall be transported in and out of each country through designated border posts or regional towns, the advisory said.
Current border crossing points that have been authorized by the two neighboring countries are Namanga (Kenya and Tanzania), Sirari and Isebania, Holili and Taveta, and Horohoro and Lungalunga from Tanzanian and Kenyan sides respectively.
Bologonja crossing was closed as a precedent move to save Serengeti ecosystem from mass tourism and nature destruction.
Serengeti boasts of the picturesque annual migration made up of over one million wildebeest and 200,000 zebras.
The park is the known residence and home of millions of wildebeests, which spend nine to 10 months roaming the 14,763 square kilometer plains.
Comments
Look at arrogance and hypocrism of highest order everytime it is Tanzania backtracking the EAC probably the community block is turning out to be a terrorising tool for us now! IMF Report 2009 put Kenya in the list of countries with highest prptectionism in this World acording to Businessdaily Africa.
Yet some few arrogant people here are telling us that Tanzania is claiming to protect its Wildlife while the reason behind is fear! Grow up boys! Aren't you the people who were making noises when Tanzania wanted to put up a soda ash factory in Lake Natron even before the scientific EIA Report came up? Aren't you the same people who made noises when an Airport project initiatives were being carried on reason saying it will disturb the movement of wildlife? while the airport is being built in a Mugumu town of over 60,000 people! Where has your love and passion for wildlife gone? Why the hell do you think Tanzania is afraid of Kenyan business guys? Do you know the potential of that country in business? Have you ever assess the individual capability of the country? How big is Kenyan economy to make Tanzania that fearful? And how come the so called 'Kenyan claimed investments (though majority owned by non Kenyans) in Tanzania got a go ahead to establish its businesses if we are anti-Kenya?
Pls stop your arrogance don't be so selfish like that as individuals, the region can work better off if we will be willing to trade and not doing some propagandas here! The gate will never be opened cause its Cost Benefit Analyis does not worth it!
This is about business only.If Tanzania closes its border...what is the problem?
If country feel uncomfortable let it have its own choice, EAC spirit should not make one country to follow others countries decision.
@ Mukasa Fred M., are you also realy in EA? Why being in COMESA by the way the so called advertising as a bloc is long dead!
Think of this when Tanzania used to advertise on CNN there was EA logo below but now do you see any EA logo with the current Kenyan advertisment on CNN? the answer is NO ! So who is hypocrite here? Why is this ranting all about? Should Tanzania also make noises? No they are quiet! Why this unnecessary arguments?
By the way i don't see a need to advertise as a block! Our tourism will grow fast if every member state advertise on her own! Since we need to reach treshold first and then from there we can do a bloc thing to woo those tourist! What i see now is some countries like Uganda which do nothing to advertise and yet they want to be a free rider on benefits of other countries. Or a country like Kenya that killed its tourism out of its nephotism and now they are turning out to be nationalist blaming everything about their woos on Tanzania!
Grow up! Work up your butts and stop blaming Tanzania if they are against the bloc initiative in tourism, what is the deal? If they claim Kenya and Uganda has nothing extra to offer to them as to boost their earnings in tourism, are you going to crucify them? Isn't the community block meaning a win-win deal? So what can Uganda and Rwanda offer to Tanzania when we talk of package tourism? you will tell me Gorrilas!! Hahah do you know how many Gorrilas lie in Gombe Natural Forest on the shores of lake Tanganyika (inland Seychelles) waiting to be discovered?
What about Kenya? there is nothing they have we can claim of benefits from them apart from them benefiting from us whether it be the 3 island on Indian Ocean or be it on MT. Kilimanjaro trips !
So please let Tanzania realize its potential first and they will later consider the bloc advertising thing after having reached their threshold! Stop bulldozing TZ to some deals that aint worth it! by the way Serengeti National Park is the only park in East Africa with Environmental Mangement Plan! So when Environmists refuse to open up the gate you need to come with scientific proofs to counter them and not egoistic and self centered arguments here! off you go with your EA community if you think TZ dont qualify when defending its resources from destructions!
Look at arrogance and hypocrism of highest order everytime it is Tanzania backtracking the EAC probably the community block is turning out to be a terrorising tool for us now ! IMF Report 2009 put Kenya in the list of countries with highest prptectionism in this World acording to Businessdaily Africa.
Yet some few arrogant people here are telling us that Tanzania is claiming to protect its Wildlife while the reason behind is fear! Grow up boys! Arent you the people who were making noises when Tanzania wanted to put up a soda ash factory in Lake Natron even before the scientific EIA Report came up? Arent you the same people who made noises when an Airport project initiatives were being carried on reason saying it will disturb the movement of wildlife? while the airport is to being built in a Mugumu town of over 60,000 people! Where has your love and passion for wildlife gone? Why the hell do you think Tanzania is afraid of Kenyan business guys? Do you know the potential of that country in business? Have you ever assess the individual capability of the country? How big is Kenyan economy to make Tanzania that fearful? And how come the so called 'Kenyan claimed investments though majority owned by non Kenyans' in Tanzania got a go ahead to establish it businesses if we are anti-kenya?
Pls stop your arrogance dont be so selfish like that as individuals, the region can work better of if we will be willing to trade and not some propagandas here! The get will never being opened cause it Cost Benefit Analyis does not worth it!
I am afraid the issue of vehicle and people movement between the two countries will remain controversial for as long as there is no open dialogue and honest engagement between the two governments. This has even complicated the negotiations on the East African Community Non-tariff barriers with no solution in sight. In public the Tanzanian officials will proclaim there is co-operation and dialogue going on, cross border movements will be facilitated, there will be collaboration and East Africa will be marketed as a single destination. Privately, they will be working against it and try to justify it by claiming their Kenyan counterpasrts will have the biggest advantage. They would therefore, rather kill the initiative. There has been attempts to market the region as a single tourist destination internationally, but this has been a total failure due to lack of commitment from one side. Kenya has opened its borders to Tanzanian vehicles and personnel and allowed them to enter everywhere, including wildlife areas unconditionally. They even pay residents' rates as do all other East African residents. On the other had, Kenya vehicles are not allowed to cross TZ borders with tourists, leave alone entering game parks. They are heavily penalised; there is complete discrimination against the drivers. Kenyan residents are sometimes mistreated and overcharged every time they visit. It looks like there exists an official subortage policy. The mistake Kenyan operators make is assuming it has been a business problem, while all along this has never been the case - it is more of a political one and should be solved politically once and for all before all other players get involved. I am afraid we are just playing diplomacy and burying our heads in the sand and we shall never move forward with this kind of attitude.
Major (rtd) William Kamunge
Tour Operator,
Nairobi, Kenya
This is sad. best approach is address the main fear of Tanzania tourism which is the fact that with such opening, the tourist traffic to Serengeti and some extent to Ngorongoro will increase tremendously, the traffic to the other Northern parks not considered as highlights - Tarangire & Lake Manyara will dwindle, as they are visited mostly by clients en-route to the main highlight areas (Serengeti + Ngorongoro). I would suggest they put in a transit fee at border that will compensate equivalent park entrance fees of these other parks...if client is going to Serengeti only..pay transit fee higher and covering the supposed entry to Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire and Lake Manyara....similarly if clients are going to Serengeti and Ngorongoro, pay transit fee to compensate for missed entry to Lake Manyara and Tarangire...this will reasonably compensate Tanzania Government, Tourist Tourist board and Tanapa.
Sirs,
the question is about Tanzania being really in East African Community? The reasons they give are all made up and without sound basis. To protect their own business interests mainly. Tourist safari are a lot more expensive because of this. They should now declare to be in East Africa or otherwise leave and the rest of the countries can get on with integration.
They live so in the past now as this again proves.
Yours faithfully
Mukasa Fred M.
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