Cultural tourism stakeholders meeting decided to improve cultural tourism experience in Tanzania

Cultural tourism emphasized in Tanzania because it is part of responsible travel. Tanzania safari company organizes ecotourism safaris in order to make a local community benefit with wildlife conservation. Wildlife safaris in Tanzania are top tourist attractions which get many visitors per year. Local community participates in wildlife conservation, hence they should benefit from tourism.

In a cultural tourism stakeholders meeting held in Arusha on 22nd and 23rd, challenges and things to improve cultural tourism were discussed. Challenges of cultural tourism outlines were multi charges of entrance fees and en route fees are charged without proper regulations. Another challenge was the lack of law and regulations governing cultural tourism business. Main facts discussed were standardization of fees/levies and putting up laws/regulations and policies for guidelines to cultural tourism.

Cultural Tourism Enterprises, Tour Operators, Tanzania Tourist Board, Cultural Tourism Coordinator, and local government tourism officers pointed out the importance and benefits of cultural tourism in Tanzania. Some of them are positive experience on natural attractions to tourists, source of income to local village and Government through tax and fees, Employment to local guides, arousing real sense of cultural tourism which make the local people to identify their value and hence preserve their traditions, Infrastructure development like roads/health, boost trade in local areas with cultural tourist sites and bring about economic multiplier effect to another sector like Agriculture.

Cultural tourism destinations are places which are located en route to wildlife game parks, mountains and other places like beach areas. Tourists visiting tourist destinations like Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro conservation area, hunting blocks, and other tourist attractions. The local people nearby these game parks live in villages whereby they conduct economic activities like agriculture, farming has their own tradition and culture for tourists to experience.

Wildlife safaris, Mount Kilimanjaro climbing, bird watching, adventures are most used vacation holidays used to travelers, however, cultural tourism adds value to travel package offered to tourists.

At the end of meeting on 23rd Oct, it was agreed to improve quality of cultural tourism, put up laws/regulation which guides cultural tourism business, remove all inconveniences and standardizes fees to be easier.