Tanzania: UNDP Supports Tour Operators to Improve Industry

THE United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has joined hands with Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO) to revive the key industry to spur other businesses, recover thousands of lost jobs and generate revenue to the economy.

Wildlife tourism in Tanzania continues to grow, with nearly 1.5 million tourists visit the country annually, earning the country 2.5 billion US dollars, equivalent to nearly 17.6 per cent of GDP, cementing its position as the country's leading foreign currency earner.

Additionally, tourism provides 600,000 direct jobs to Tanzanians and over one million others earn an income from the industry.

The UNDP- Tanzania has supported TATO financially to convert the Toyota Landcruiser donated by its member, Tanganyika Wilderness Camps, into a state of the art ambulance.

The funds also purchased the much-needed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in a bid to protect tourists and those serving them, against Covid-19 disease.

The ambulance is among the four fleets, which have been converted and would be deployed into tourism hotbed areas namely, Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Kilimanjaro National Park and Tarangire-Manyara ecosystem.

Main objective of deploying the ambulances is to assure tourists that Tanzania is well prepared to act promptly in case of emergency and as part of the national plan to roll out a welcome mat for holidaymakers.

"Today will go down in history as the day that marks the private sector supported by UNDP in a move to complement the government efforts to assure tourists of their safety amidst the Covid-19 pandemic" Natural Resources and Tourism Permanent Secretary, Dr Aloyce Nzuki said during the official launch of the ambulance in Tanzania's northern safari capital, Arusha.

Dr Nzuki poured a lot of praise to TATO and UNDP strategic partnership, saying the move will certainly play a great deal in an effort to restore tourism with its old glory.

TATO, a 37-year-old advocacy agency for a multi-billion dollar industry, with 300 plus members across the natural resources rich East African country, has its base in northern safari capital of Arusha.

Indeed, this initiative will be rolled out on a public-private partnership (PPP) model of which the Government will provide paramedics and the private sector will offer ambulances.

UNDP Resident Representative, Christine Musisi said, "Cognizant of tourism industry as an accelerator of sustainable development, with potential to contribute towards several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) due to its cross cutting and multiplying effect on other sectors and industries; we are keen to continue supporting the government in the development of a Comprehensive Recovery Plan for the Tourism industry both in Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar."

"We in TATO are so grateful to UNDP for the much needed support. This will go a long way to support the responsible and timely recovery of the industry, a major foreign currency earner, on which thousands of small businesses and jobs depend," said TATO CEO, Mr Sirili Akko.

Tourism, one of the hardest hit industries by the novel coronavirus disease epidemic, is slowly, but surely rebounding in Tanzania after uncertainty of nearly five-months, offering a ray of hope to the economy.

Latest statistics from the state-run conservation and tourism agency show that over 30,000 tourists visited the country's national parks in July alone.

Tanzania National Parks' Assistant Conservation Commissioner, in charge of Business Development portfolio, Ms Beatrice Kessy, said indeed, by August 17, 2020, the country received over 18,000 tourists, implying that the tourism is recovering.

Serengeti, Manyara and Kilimanjaro national parks are leading in terms of receiving a lion's share of tourists, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, after having attracted a total of 7,811, 1,987 and 1,676 tourists, respectively.

For instance, Tanapa's data indicates that in August, Ibanda and Mahale national parks drew only 7 and 6 visitors, respectively.

However, tourists visiting all 22 national parks countrywide had sharply dropped to just three immediately after Tanzania confirmed its first Covid-19 case on March 16, 2020.

"National Parks used to receive 1,000 plus visitors during the low season in the past," Ms Kessy explained, attributing the current gradual upsurge of tourists visiting the country to a recovery plan, which the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism jointly devised in partnership with private sector as well as UNDP basing on the World Tourism Organisation's guidelines.