Former Israel Prime Minister Ehud Barak praised the government of Tanzania

By Staff Writer,

Tanzania Information Services,

Dar es Salaam, Sunday 16 April, 2017. Former Israel Prime Minister Ehud Barak has praised the government of Tanzania for the way it preserves the country’s tourist attractions.

Mr. Barak who was leading a group of over hundred Israeli tourists including his family

arrived in the country early this week for a tourist mission.

During his tour, Mr. Barak and his team visited Ngorongoro and Serengeti National Parks which are in the list of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites.

According to Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) Communication Manager Pascal Shelutete, the former Israeli Premier made a stopover at Olduvai Gorge on his way to Serengeti National Park where he was met by Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Engineer Ramo Makani.

At the Olduvai Gorge, the most famous archaeological location in East Africa and the must visit for travelers to Ngorongoro and Serengeti national Parks, Mr. Barak said the area was very important because, as a cradle of mankind, it connects the early human being with the modern human generation.

He toured the Olduvai Gorge Museum and expressed his admiration of the way the government was doing in conservation of historical and heritage sites such as Olduvai Gorge.

The former Israeli Prime Minister and his entourage arrived in the country last Tuesday aboard Israeli airline and was greeted, at the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA), by the Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Professor Jumanne Magembe.

Early this month, Israeli Ambassador to Tanzania Yahel Vilan paid a courtesy call to President John Pombe Magufuli and told him that about 200 tourists were expected to visit Tanzania this month.

Tanzania and Israeli have vowed to strengthen their relations and were expected to gain momentum after Tanzania’s recent decision to open its Embassy in Israel and the opening of Israeli Visa-handling center in Dar es Salaam November last year. Tourism sector set to immediately benefit from these relations.

According to available statistics from Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB), the number of tourism from Israel has been steadily increasing from 3,007 in 2011 to 14,754 in 2015.