Misses Million Visitor Mark
Tanzania Tourist Board admits to missing 2010 targets
(eTN) - Officials of the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) have scratched their heads in recent days, when the available half-year figures of arrivals and revenues from tourism to Tanzania suggested that the targets initially set for this year will most likely be missed substantially. Estimates presented last year for 2010 spoke of reaching a million visitors and revenues in excess of US$1.7 billion, but the present trend indicates that the country may now only receive some 800,000 visitors and correspondingly lower revenues than forecasted.
Experts are divided over the reasons for this development, as neighboring Kenya – which kicked of a marketing storm last year and early this year around the world – already have their eyes set on their best tourism year ever.
Suggestions have been made that the stand taken by the Tanzanian government and delegation at the global CITES meeting earlier in the year in Doha has influenced many would-be travelers, and more so travel and tour agents, to send less visitors to Tanzania to express their disagreement on the proposed large-scale sale of ivory, while other observers have pointed to the hugely controversial planned highway across the Northern Serengeti, which has conservationists from around the world up in arms. The coordinated campaign against this project may well have resulted in revealing and damaging articles and publicity against Tanzania’s government's stand on the planned road and may be just one added cause why less people are visiting Tanzania this year, while tourism generally in the region, in particular in Rwanda and Kenya, is showing a sharp upswing.
Budget constraints for marketing have also been cited by usually well-informed sources from Arusha, who claim that while Kenya and Rwanda in particular, have spent big to reap big, this logic has not apparently been understood in Tanzania as yet, and the present election campaign has also taken the focus off of the sector at a time when it is most needed.
Comments
Caution: Wolfgang is an enemy number one of African development efforts. Be careful of his articles. They are utterly nonsense.
Dear Sirs,
the writer has hit a raw nerve with some and it is often the truth hurts. What does Kaberuka mean when he talks of 'strategically planned' - is he for the alternative to have the highway go around the south of Serengeti or is he just another mouthpiece used by others. Failing to reach numbers given last year has many reasons and CITES and the highway are contributing surely and will get worse if the highway cuts Serengeti apart. By the way Kaberuka, what is all this crying over 'Kenya' when the writer is from Uganda here? Do you see anything good at all from your Kenyan brothers and sisters?
Yours faithfully
Mukasa Fred M.
I totally disagree with the writer of this article when associating Tanzania's failure to reach tourist target with planned road in Serengeti and its proposal to sale of ivory. I consider these as baseless assertions as tourists are attracted by improved infrastructures such as roads for which. Construction of road across Serengeti is one step in improving the infrastructure for attracting tourists. How do tourists would reject this road while they use roads for safaris within the parks?
The writer is using his own opinions trying to seek mass support for his campaign against this road to succeed. His intention is to use this campaign as a weapon to reduce Tanzania’s competitiveness in tourism while favouring Kenya. Poor infrastructures and bad image which some neighbour countries, including Kenya, are struggling to implant into the tourists about Tanzania might be among the reasons for this failure. I do agree with the writer that low budget set aside for tourism marketing by Tanzanian government can also be a major factor for this failure.
However, failure to reach target does not mean that Tourism in Tanzania is growing negatively. Using the writer’s data of 800,000 visitors Tanzania expects for 2010, it can be said that the sector is growing positively as this figure is above figures from previous years. The writer should understand that mass tourism which Kenya is always promoting in Maasai Mara can be dangerous to the wildlife ecosystem than constructing a road across Serengeti. It is because of mass tourism promotion in Kenya, a large number of visitors are expected in Kenya. Although few tourists have visited Tanzania than Kenya their spending in Tanzania gives hope for improved income. Although a lot remain to be done, recent data on visitor export show that Tanzania is ahead other East African countries. The truth can be seen from the table below which is available at: http://www.wttc.org/tourism research/economic data search tool.
I agree with other commentators that “if strategically planned” the road across Serengeti won’t endanger animals.
The Problem with tourism in Tanzania its not marketed properly globally which is the number one reason the government is unable to achieve targets. the are solutions to resolve this problem one can be introducing a new company which has the potential to stand out.This is were I am able to help , I'm looking to sell the domain rights for the website name kaributanzania.com it has the potential, if well maintain to increase tourism into Tanzania .Its an ideal name to prompt tourist to visit Tanzania and it has the potential to approach the global market.If any investors are interested please contact me via email or the contact number located on the website itself.
Sincerely from
Barrich International ltd Director Vishal Barot
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