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Tanzania voted into top three for eco-tourism
2006-01-07 09:24:26
By Guardian Reporter
A Recent poll by the website www.responsibletravel.com has found Tanzania in the top three countries for eco-tourism.
The poll was conducted online and was based on nearly 60,000 responses.
Kenya and Egypt were the other two countries finishing in the top three with Tanzania.
Tanzania is renowned for its abundant wildlife in its 14 massive national parks including the largest and most famous Serengeti.
The park was recently named by National Geographic Magazine as one of the 50 must-see places in the world.
Over 75 per cent of the visitors to Tanzania last year said they went for the wildlife.
Other countries finishing high on the poll for eco-tourism were Morocco, India, Ecuador and Peru.
Meanwhile, tourism industry is booming according to S. Odunga, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism .
In fact Tanzania is the fastest growing tourist destination in Africa, he said adding this was reflected not just in tourism numbers, but in the numerous recent investments by major luxury hotels.
’Tanzania is without a doubt one of the most exciting tourism destinations in the world’, said Marcus van der Wal, Regional Director of one of the leading hotel in Tanzania said.
Tanzania expects the total number of tourist arrivals to increase from 582,807 in 2004 to 600,000 this year, said Peter Mwenguo, Managing Director of the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB).
Stakeholders in the industry attribute this growth to the world famous tourist attractions including Mt. Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti, Selous and Zanzibar; high quality tourist accommodations; and the fact that Tanzania is a democratic, peaceful and stable country.
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