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Udzungwa park lays strategies to boost internal tourism
2006-05-05 08:07:16
By Felix Andrew
Few Tanzanians visit tourism attractions compared to foreigners. The reason is that many locals lack the knowledge on the existence of the tourist attracts.
Recently, the management of the Udzungwa Mountains National Park (UNMP) came up with strategies to boost internal tourism as Felix Andrew reports.
Few Tanzanians visit tourism attractions compared to foreigners. The reason is that many locals lack the knowledge on the existence of the tourist attracts.
Recently, the management of the Udzungwa Mountains National Park (UNMP) came up with strategies to boost internal tourism as Felix Andrew reports.
’’WE lack the culture of visiting tourism attractions as we have left this business to foreigners,’’ says a tourist operator, Ludovic Kisara.
He stresses that it was high time Tanzanians started visiting the abundant tourists attractions to boost the nation’s economy and also a source of entertainment.
’’We should stop referring to tourist attractions as belonging to the coming generations. We have to start visiting them now, says Kisara’’.
Seth Mihayo, the Udzungwa Mountains National Park tourism officer, confesses that the number of Tanzanians visiting the park is still low.
Udzungwa Mountains lie in south-central Tanzania in the districts of Kilombero and Kilolo in Morogoro and Iringa regions respectively.
Mihayo says in the period 2003/4 there were only 328 local tourists who visited area compared to 1,421 foreign vistors.
In 2004/05 the number shot up slightly to 486 local tourists compared to 1,637 foreign tourists.
’’Such phenomenon is quite common in almost all other tourists attractions in the country,’’ explains Mihayo, adding his park has embarked on strategies to raise the number of local tourists at par with that of foreigners.
One of the strategies is to participate in the International Trade Fair to be held this year in Dar es Salaam and take part in the Nane Nane Agricultural Fair in Morogoro.
’’We’re looking for means to enable fellow countrymen visit the park during the Trade and Nane Nane fairs at low costs,’’ he says.
Current entrance fees to the Park range between 1,000/- for adults and 500/- for children while it is 15 USD for an adult foreign tourist and 5 USD for children.
The park management also plans to review the entrance fee for foreigners effective July this year.
Tourism experts say many Tanzanians may not be aware of such tourism attractions, but what is more enjoyable is that contrary to other reserves, a greater part of trips through Udzungwa park is done on foot, thus giving tourists a better opportunity to view many unique animals and plants in close quarters.
Unique animals found in the park include Sanje Mangabey, Iringa Red Colobus, Matundu dwarf Galago and Highland Mangabey.
Other animals, which are only found in the Park, are rare bearded pygmy chameleon, Papilio hornimanii mwaninanae butterflies, the rare charaxes lucyae Mwanihanae frogs, which include the Tree frog while rare plants are listed as Saintpaulia pusilla, vernonia luhomeroensis, lobelia udzungwensis, meinecki udzungwaensis, Pauridiantha Udzungwensis, Tarenna udzungwensis, and Disperis Udzungwae.
Such flora and fauna is of major importance in human life and conservation of the environment in general, says Mihayo.
The park has also mountain peaks of Luhomero and Mwanihana and the water falls of Sanje, Prince Bernhard, Njokamoni and Sonjo and historical sights and caves of Nyumbanitu.
Mwanalevele and Bokela, which are used for traditional purposes by the local population. This also includes the ruins of Mbatwa village.
Mihayo says the park also plans to add tourism entertainments, which include canoeing, cabling and canopy walk, items which will be unique in East Africa’s tourism.
Established in 1992, the park intends to embark on a wide array of moves to conserve the ecosystem of the area.
Morogoro Regional Commissioner Saidi Kalembo has called on people living in the area to excel in conservation of its resources for the nation’s good as it was a source for water, agricultural activities and power.
The coordinator of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Ms Zakhia Aloyce says her organisation would continue aiding the tourist sector in the country, adding that it has set aside 1bn/- for conservation activities of Vidunda mountain range in Kilombero District. The mountains border on Udzungwa Park.
The UMNP Warden Incharge, Christopher Timbuka, says the park has taken some measures to reduce the number of villagers seeking firewood, herbs and fruits.
’’We’ve agreed that every villager living in nearby areas will have to plant trees to minimize dependence on the park. After five years from people would no longer be allowed to enter into the park looking for firewood.
A law enacted in 2003 forbids such activities in national parks and reserves, and hence the management of the park and stakeholders formed a task force to ban human activities in the area after five years.
Some people interviewed admitted that they have never visited tourism attractions because of lack of money.
’’We want to visit those areas but we’ve no money, said Musa Mweleni, a villager.
Tourism in a major foreign exchange earner sector contributed about 10 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
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