Tourism in Tanzania

Tourists in the Ngorongoro Crater

Tanzania is a country with many tourist attractions. Approximately 38 percent of Tanzania's land area is set aside in protected areas for conservation.[1] There are 16 national parks,[2] 29 game reserves, 40 controlled conservation areas (including the Ngorongoro Conservation Area) and marine parks. Tanzania is also home to Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa.

Travel and tourism contributed 12.7 percent of Tanzania's gross domestic product and employed 11.0 percent of the country's labor force (1,189,300 jobs) in 2013.[3] The sector is growing rapidly, rising from US $1.74 billion in 2004 to US $4.48 billion in 2013.[3] In 2012, 1,043,000 tourists arrived at Tanzania's borders compared to 590,000 in 2005.[4]

Tourist attractions

National Parks

Hippos in Lake Manyara National Park 2012

Tanzania has almost 38% of its land reserved as protected areas, one of the world's highest percentage.[5] Tanzania boasts 16 national parks and is home to a large variety of animal life. Among the large mammals include the Big five, cheetahs, wildebeest, giraffes, hippopotamuses and various antelopes. Tanzania's most well known wildlife attractions are located in the northern part of the country and include the Serengeti National Park, Tarangire National Park and Lake Manyara National Park. The Serengeti National park encompases the world famous great migrations of animals.[6] is the most popular park in the country and saw more than 330,000 visitors in 2012.[7]

The north is also home to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area includes the Ngorongoro Crater, which is an extinct volcanic caldera[8] with lions, hippopotamus, elephants, various types of antelope, the endangered black rhinoceros, and large herds of wildebeest and zebra.[9] The Crater also holds the Olduvai Gorge, it is considered to be the seat of humanity after the discovery of the earliest known specimens of the human genus, Homo habilis as well as early hominidae, such as Paranthropus boisei.

The western part of Tanzania includes the Mahale, Katavi, and Gombe national parks, the latter of which is the site of Jane Goodall's ongoing study, begun in 1960, of chimpanzee behaviour.[10][11] The country is also particularly rich in plant diversity, the Tanzania National Parks Authority has an entire national park the Kitulo National Park dedicated to flowers. There is a wide variety of biomass across the nation.

Mount Kilimanjaro

Aerial view of Mount Kilimanjaro 2009

Also known as the roof of Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the highest peak in Africa. The mountain now a dormant volcano rises approximately 4,877 metres (16,001 ft) from its base to 5,895 metres (19,341 ft) above sea level. The mountain is located in the north of the country on the border with Kenya in the town of Moshi and is accessible via Kilimanjaro International Airport. The airport also provides a gateway for tourists to all northern safari circuits. The mountain is part of Kilimanjaro National Park and is the second most popular park in the country and roughly 20,000 visitors trek the mountain every year.[12] The mountain is one of the most accessible high peaks in the world and has an average success rate of around 65%.[13]

Zanzibar

Main article: Tourism in Zanzibar
Coastline of Zanzibar

The Zanzibar Archipelago is a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania. Also nicknamed spice island, the archipelago is home to miles of white sand beaches and a cultural fusion of multiple cultures. The capital Zanzibar City still preserves the ancient city of Stone Town, the former capital of the Sultanate of Zanzibar. The town is home to numerous historical and cultural sites, some dating back to the 15th century. Zanzibari culture and architecture is built on a fusion of different cultures from Arabia, Persia, India and the coast of East Africa.[14][15]

Often the trip to zanzibar is the end of a tourists adventure into Tanzania after either a safari expedition in the north of the mainland or after a trek to the peak of the kilimanjaro. There are 100s of miles of beach as well as coral and limestone scarps along the coast allowing safe and significant amounts of diving and snorkeling. Apart from the beaches the island has the Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park which is a mangrove swamp and is the home for the red colobus monkey and home to 40 species of bird and 50 species of butterfly. Zanzibar is accessible Abeid Amani Karume International Airport and by ferry from Dar es salaam.[16][17]

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Tanzania is home to seven UNESCO World Heritage sites with 6 of them on the mainland and 1 in Zanzibar. Currently there are 5 more sites viable to be nominated such as the Gombe National Park and the East African slave trade route.[18]

Serengeti National Park
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Mount Kilimanjaro
Ruins of Kilwa and Songo Mnara
Kondoa Rock Art Site
Selous Game Reserve
Stone Town
Location of World Heritage Sites within Tanzania

Visa Policy

Visa policy of Tanzania

Most visitors to Tanzania must obtain a visa from one of the Tanzanian diplomatic missions. However, a majority of nations can obtain a visitor visa at any port of entry land or air. Most SADC citizens or East African Community citizens do not need a visa for tourism purposes. 3 month tourist visas are available for $US 50 at all ports of entry (except US citizens must buy $US 100 1 year multiple entry visas). Tanzania does not fall under the East African Tourist Visa regime and a separate visa is required to enter Tanzania.[19] All visitors must hold a passport valid for 6 months (according to the Tanzanian immigration department) or a month beyond the period of intended stay (according to IATA).[20]

Statistics

Kilimanjaro International Airport: The largest airport in the north to access the northern national parks

In 2014 a total of 1,093,000 tourists visited Tanzania continuing the year on year growth of visitors. Compared to the size and potential Tanzania has the second lowest number of tourists only above Burundi. Almost 50% of tourists into were from Africa and the number has been rising due to the increase in regional integration and improved flight connectivity. Though the industry has been continually growing the recent recession and the 2014 Ebola scare has hurt the industry heavily.[21]

Tourist Arrivals by Year

Foreign traveller arrivals (2000-2014)[22][23]
Year Foreign arrivals Year Foreign Arrivals
2000 501,669 2008 770,376
2001 525,122 2009 714,367
2002 575,296 2010 754,000
2003 576,198 2011 843,000
2004 582,807 2012 1,043,000
2005 612,754 2013 1,063,000
2006 644,124 2014 1,093,000
2007 719,031

Tourist Arrivals by Country

Tourist arrivals of Top 7 African countries[22] Tourist arrivals of Top 7 overseas countries[22]
Ranking Country

of origin

 Visitor arrivals

2013

 % Total

arrivals

 Ranking Country

of origin

 Visitor arrivals

2014

 % Total

arrivals

1  Kenya 193,078 36.8 1  United Kingdom 70,379 12.3
2  Zambia 64,825 12.4 2  United States 69,671 12.2
3  Rwanda 46,637 8.9 3  Italy 57,372 10.0
4  Uganda 39,488 7.5 4  Germany 53,951 9.4
5  Burundi 34,873 6.6 5  France 33,335 5.8
6  South Africa 31,144 5.9 6  India 27,334 4.8
7  Zimbabwe 30,756 5.8 7  Netherlands 20,633 3.6

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Impact of Dominant Environmental Policies on Indigenous Peoples in Africa", authored by Soyata Tegegn, in Indigenous People in Africa: Contestations, Empowerment and Group Rights, edited by Ridwan Laher and Korir SingíOei, Africa Institute of South Africa, 2014, page 57, accessed 16 October 2014
  2. ↑ "Home". Tanzania National Parks. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  3. 1 2 World Tourism and Travel Council Data, 2013, accessed 28 October 2014
  4. ↑ United Republic of Tanzania, UNData, Statistics Division, United Nations, accessed 22 October 2014
  5. ↑ "Protected area highlights for Tanzania". EoEartth. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  6. ↑ "Serengeti". Tanzania Tourist Board. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  7. ↑ "Tanzania national parks - Corporate Information". Tanzania Parks. TANAPA. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  8. ↑ Boniface, Brain G.; Cooper, Christopher P. (2001). Worldwide Destinations: The Geography of Travel and Tourism. Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 247. ISBN 0-7506-4231-9.
  9. ↑ "Ngorongoro Conservation Area". Tanzania Tourist Board. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  10. ↑ "Gombe Stream National Park". Tanzania National Parks. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  11. ↑ Nature's Strongholds: The World's Great Wildlife Reserves, authored by Laura Riley and William Riley, Princeton University Press, 2005, page 138, accessed 16 October 2014
  12. ↑ "PRESS STATEMENT: NUMBER OF MOUNT KILIMANJARO CLIMBERS NOT A THREAT", Tanzania National Parks, 5 March 2014, accessed 31 July 2015
  13. ↑ "Climb Kilimanjaro Guide". Kilimanjaro Success Rate – How Many People Reach the Summit. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  14. ↑ http://www.zanzibartourism.net/historicalsites.htm ZanzibarTourism - Historical Sites
  15. ↑ http://www.zanzibartourism.net/fortsnruins.php
  16. ↑ Zanzibar Commission for Tourism | Travel to Zanzibar | By Air
  17. ↑ Zanzibar Commission for Tourism | Travel to Zanzibar | By Sea
  18. ↑ "United Republic of Tanzania - Properties inscribed on the World Heritage List". UNESCO. United Nations. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  19. ↑ "East Africa Tourist Visa". Magical Kenya. Kenya Tourism Board. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  20. ↑ LIST OF COUNTRIES AND SPECIFIC VISA ELIGIBILITY, Immigration Services Department of Tanzania
  21. ↑ Novelli, Marina (January–April 2014). "Tourism in the East African Community (EAC): Challenges, opportunities, and ways forward". SAGE Journal 14. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  22. 1 2 3 "Tanzania Visitors exit survey 2013" (PDF). National Bureau of Statistics. Government of Tanzania. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  23. ↑ "The 2009 Tourism Statistical Bulletin" (PDF). mnrt.go.tz. Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism Tourism Division. Retrieved 25 December 2015.

External links

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Tanzania.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tourism in Tanzania.
Government ministries and agencies
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