Domestic tourism said not to be very vibrant

The country is not doing well in domestic tourism, a situation that makes the industry unsustainable as it relies more on foreign tourists.

Speaking at a one-day training on Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) activities to Dodoma media journalists, Chief Park Warden Donatus Bayona said they were conducting a number of awareness campaigns to attract domestic tourism.

“According to 2017/18 statistics, Tanzanians who visited local tourist attractions were 16,270 compared to 409,120 from other East African countries,” he said.

He added that for a stable and sustainable tourism sector, domestic tourism must take a lead in income generation instead of relying on external factors.

Mr Bayona said Saanane Island National Park is leading as far as domestic tourism is concerned saying caged lions had been a contributing factor.

“Domestic tourism input is very low; we need a new push, that is why we are engaging a number of stakeholders to make it work as we know Tanzanians if well informed, they can change their mindset and start visiting national parks,” he said.

The country has 16 national parks - Rubondo, Katavi, Mahale, Gombe, Saanane in the Western Circuit, the Northen zone has Arusha, Manyara, Tarangire, Mt Kilimanjaro, Mkomazi and Serengeti. Southern zone caters for Mikumi, Udzungwa, Kitulo and Ruaha while Eastern zone has only Saadani.

Many of the national parks form the core of a much larger protected ecosystem, have been set aside to preserve the country’s rich natural heritage, and to provide secure breeding grounds where its fauna and flora can thrive, safe from the conflicting interests of a growing human population.

The existing park system protects a number of internationally recognised bastions of biodiversity and World Heritage sites, thereby redressing the balance for those areas of the country affected by deforestation, agriculture and urbanisation.