Ahmed Nassoro, the head of the tourism department at the Resilient Natural Resources for Growth (REGROW) project made this affirmation in a briefing for journalist who visited the park over the weekend.
He said that the park management has embarked on initiatives aimed to attract local and foreign visitors, with the journalists being invited to view activities implemented under the REGROW project, the $150m (350bn/-) six year project under the Natural Resources and Tourism ministry.
It is geared to promote tourism, improve the management of attractions and increase income for villagers bordering the Southern Highlands national parks, namely Ruaha, Mikumi, Udzungwa and Nyerere.
“We are building a canopy walkway that potentially enhances the number of local and foreign visitors,” he said, noting that the park is so far receiving a limited number of foreign visitors.
The number of tourists visiting Udzungwa has periodically risen, especially since President Samia Suluhu Hassan uplifted tourism marketing by starring in ‘The Royal Tour’ documentary
Tourist arrivals rose from 12,000 during fiscal 2021/2022 to over 14,000 in fiscal 2022/2023, he said, highlighting that the park recently received 500 students from the University of Dodoma (UDOM).
The Udzungwa Mountain national park in the eastern arch mountains is home to vast biodiversity, some species being unique to the area, he said, pointing at the Sanje mangabey and colobine monkeys of Iringa.
The park management is also implementing a good neighbourhood programne where villagers are involved in conservation activities, supported economically through Community Conservation Banks (COCOBA) tied to the project, he elaborated.
Education sponsorships are extended to village children, all of which has reduced the number of land and border disputes between the park and villagers, he stated, expressing the view that villagers have a good understanding of conservation issues and its benefits.
Blanka Tengia, the ministry’s REGROW deputy coordinator, said that building the canopy walkaway promises exceptional experience to visitors as while walking they can closely see the birds variety on top of trees
Walking the canopy will also give visitors an opportunity to see the Sanje monkeys that are only found at Udzungwa, while engaging the community in conservation activities will reduce pressure on the forest, she stated.
The villagers will no longer tolerate illegal hunting of wild animals or cut trees for charcoal, she said, while Selina Maliatabu, residing at Mangula ‘B’ village that borders the park, commended the government for coming up with the COCOBA plan.
Most villagers had their livelihoods improved, she said, specifying that most members of the local ‘resilience’ group have set up economic activities that generate usable incomes.
A joint beekeeping project for which start-up funds were obtained from the project enables villagers to produce a thousand litres of honey annually.
This way they make different honey products including soap and candles, mostly sold within and outside Ifakara District, she stated.
Emmanuel Igiha, the REGROW monitoring and evaluation specialist, described close monitoring of group activities, extending financial upkeep and entrepreneurship education to ensure the funds provided are spent appropriately.
The project managers also liaise with local government authorities at the village and district levels, for updates with social welfare officers, he stated.
The REGROW drive is expected to reach 61 villages around the four national parks, linking key conservation institutions and other stakeholders, namely the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), the Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), the Tanzania Tourism Board (TTB), the Tanzania Forest Service (TFS), the National Irrigation Commission (NIRC) and the Rufiji Basin Water Board (RBWB).
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