Serengeti Receives Few Local Tourists

THE number of Tanzanians visiting the world famous Serengeti National Park (SENAPA) for tourism purpose is less than 10 per cent, according to Park's Tourism Department.

People seem to have failed to utilise the advantage of low fees charged by the Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) for the locals visiting the park, blessed with a variety of beautiful fauna and flora.

"Entry fees for any Tanzanian visiting SENAPA is 1,500/-(about one dollar), but still the number of locals visiting the park stands at seven per cent," said Mr Godson Kimaro, in charge of the Park's Tourism Department.

Among other attractions, SENAPA is also the home land of 1.5 million wildebeests and hundreds of zebras that forms the great Serengeti migration, a big attraction to thousands of tourists from overseas. SENAPA is rated as one of the Tanzanian major tourist destinations and the world's top amazing park.

The park receives an average of 350,000 tourists every year with majority of them coming from the United States of America, Europe, Russia and Asian countries such as Korea, Singapore, China and India. "It seems that Tanzanians think that it is expensive to visit SENAPA, but it costs a mere 1,500/- as entry fees and the fee for a vehicle is 10,000/- only," Mr Kimaro clarified .

Arusha Region is leading with the number of local tourists visiting the SENAPA followed by Mwanza Region, according to him. "Majority of Tanzanian tourists came from Arusha and Mwanza followed by other regions such as Mara and Shinyanga," he said.

Mr Paschal Shelutete, the TANAPA Public Relations Manager, says there still is a misconception in the minds of Tanzanians that tourism is only for foreigners. "As you can see, the rates for the locals to visit the park is very low.

And we believe majority of Tanzanians can afford the rates but it seems they have a notion that tourism is only for foreigner," Mr Shelutete said, adding that TANAPA will continue putting in place effective strategies that will enable more locals to visit the country's national park.

According to Mr Kimaro, SENAPA is figuring out the possibility of involving serious local companies to start organising trips for locals interested to visit one of the world's top amazing park. "We want to partner with interested business enterprises starting with Mwanza and Mara regions," observed without elaborating.

Mr John Ng'oina, a popular politician in Serengeti District, cited low income as the major impediment hampering the development of domestic tourism in the country. He concurred with SENAPA that it was high time they put in place an effective strategy that will encourage many locals to visit the park.

"For example, there should be standby vehicles to take locals to the park at affordable fees," Mr Ng'oina, who is also the Serengeti District Council Chairman said. Officials estimate that over 90 per cent of Serengeti District area is made up of wild protected areas including world famous park.

"Many people in Serengeti have seen wild animals including wildebeests because they have been living with the animals for years, but poor income is the major reason they don't visit the park for tourism purpose," said Mr Ng'oiana.

In 2006 SENAPA was declared one of the seventh wonders of the world and further declared a top seventh best Africa's natural wonders in Arusha a few months ago. Serengeti is the country's second largest national park covering 14,763 square kilometres and was the first park to be created in the country in 1951  .     Source allAfrica

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