Mt Kilimanjaro tours earn Tanzania $50m — World Bank

Cabinet Secretary for East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism Phyllis Kandie speaks at the East Africa Business Council meeting at Villa Rosa Hotel, Nairobi October 4, 2013. Ms Kandie government has set aside Sh40 million to increase awareness on the benefits of the East African Community (EAC) integration. ANTHONY OMUYA 

By PAUL REDFERN Special Correspondent

In Summary

• The revenue from the park contributes 13 per cent of the country’s overall gross domestic product, according to the World Bank report

Climbing tours up Mount Kilimanjaro earn Tanzania at least $50 million annually, new World Bank data shows.

The revenue from the park supports approximately 400 guides, 10,000 porters, 500 cooks, and contributes 13 per cent of the country’s overall gross domestic product, according to the report.

In addition, the report says that roughly $13 million of the park’s revenue is used to help improve the lives of the poor around the mountain slopes; the area has the highest school enrolment rate (100 per cent) and adult literacy rate (85 per cent) in the country.

However, while Mount Kilimanjaro has been a successful at generating revenues for the park and for the locals, the report highlights challenges that need to be addressed to continue to build on its success.

These include the dangerous working conditions for porters and guides as well as the increased environmental degradation around the slopes, particularly with regard to the trail erosion during wet periods

The report, Tourism in Africa: Harnessing Tourism for Growth and Improved Livelihoods says that tourism accounted directly or indirectly for one in every 20 jobs in sub Saharan Africa in 2011, and is one of the few industries on the continent in which women are well represented as employees and managers. Sub Saharan Africa is outpacing other regions in tourism growth.

Africa’s tourism industry directly employs around six million people and is a vital part of the economy in countries such as Cape Verde, Kenya, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, and
Tanzania, who the World Bank says “have simplified their tourism policies, liberalised air transport and diversified tourism, while protecting their communities and environments,” creating a positive investment climate for tourism development.

“Africa’s private companies are increasingly attracting regional and international investment and the returns on investing in Africa are among the highest in the world,” says Makhtar Diop, World Bank vice president for Africa.

However, the report says that governments must also do their part to create better transport, electricity, infrastructure, and other key services to develop tourism for more broad-based growth and improved livelihoods.

Global hotel chains are expanding across Africa, recognising investment potential and committing millions of dollars in new projects over the next few years to meet increased demand from both international tourists and the continent’s own fast-growing middle class.