Welcome to invest in the southern tourist circuit

The attractions are countless and may far outnumber those in the northern tourist circuit.

Imagine, for example, the Ruaha which is one of the biggest national parks in Africa lies in this region. So is the Selous- the second biggest game reserve in the world. Katavi National Park, Mafia Island marine life corridors, the famous Livingstone and Kivengere mountains ranges, Usangu Valley and the associated features are all in this area.

At the centre of all these are the pristine Udzingdwa Mountains in which unique frogs and special butterfly species, not found anywhere else in the world have their home.

In these areas, nature and attractions you may or may not think of are abounding, but two major things deny this part of the country the largest share of travelers it deserves.

One is promotion. Though the number of attractions is immense, little if anything, has been done to promote them in the world – inside and outside.

More emphasis has been put in promoting the attractions in the northern part of the country than in the southern – hence the theme: ‘Tanzania: The Land of Kilimanjaro, Serengeti and Zanzibar’ and not ‘Tanzania: The land of Ruaha, Udzungwa and Selous’.

As a result, more travelers have been pouring in the northern part and Zanzibar than in the southern part, though in the latter area, there is a substantial number of tourist attractions too.

The other thing that denies this region more visitors is the lack of facilities to accommodate the travelers once they are in the place.
Imagine, for example, prime attractions such as Kitulo- the only world available natural floral attraction christened ‘God’s Garden’ has neither a lodge nor a camp nearby.

So is the case with Ruaha National Park and Katavi National Park in the vicinity.

With the prevalence of the latter problem, even if one were to promote the attractions all over the world, the project would still engender no efficacious results. Why? Because in the absence of accommodation facilities where would the visitors stay?

Perhaps it is because of this that the government has of recently begun to mobilise businesses to invest in this virgin area.

This week, Tanzania National Parks Authority (Tanapa) Director General Allan Kijazi told ‘The Guardian’ during the official opening of a liaison and information office at Utalii House in Dar es Salaam that the parks agency is looking for businesses - local and foreign to invest in accommodation in the southern circuit.

While we commend him for this latest move, we believe that a programme that would have serious efficacy in changing the present state of lodge-less and camp-less attractions in the circuit, requires that massive investments that also involve the government should be launched.

We say so because, private businesses that will venture into that part of the country, will, as it has always been the case, step in with the word profit at the forehead and accommodation facilities at the hind sight.

But as for the government, the aim will be to build the accommodation facilities so as open up the regions for more investments to come in.
This does not mean that the government needs no profit or efficient business. No.

Our conviction is that this is a new area, and we believe that private investors will be attracted to come in once the government has set foot in.
So welcome to invest in the southern tourist circuit.