Tanzania
-- Tourism
During
the colonial
period,
most tourists
visiting
Tanzania
were big-game
hunters.
Since World
War II,
increasing
numbers
of tourists
have come
to see Tanzania's
flora and
fauna. In
the years
following
independence,
the Tanzanian
government
made little
effort to
encourage
foreign
tourism.
This policy
was changed
in 1977,
and the
Tanzania
Tourist
Corporation
(TTC) launched
a campaign
to attract
foreigners.
As part
of the plan,
two major
tourist
regions
with hotels
and lodges
were established.
The northern
region is
the more
popular,
comprising
Mount Kilimanjaro,
Serengeti
National
Park, Selous
Game Reserve,
Ngorongoro
Conservation
Area, Lake
Manyara
National
Park, and
some 20
lesser parks
and reserves.
In these
areas, tourists
can enjoy
hunting,
fishing,
game viewing,
photography,
etc. The
coastal
tourist
region includes
Dar es Salaam,
Mafia Island,
Zanzibar,
Mikumi National
Park, and
the Tanzanian
coastline.
The Kilimanjaro
International
Airport,
located
between
Moshi and
Arusha,
links these
points of
attraction.
Other tourist
attractions
include
the Rift
Valley,
Lake Victoria,
and Lake
Tanganyika.
In
1994, the
Tanzania
Tourist
Board replaced
the TTC
and was
given the
mandate
to make
Tanzania
a more attractive
and competitive
tourist
destination.
The Tanzanian
government's
decision
to open
tourism
to private
companies
and investors
has also
helped to
revive existing
tourist
facilities
and to attract
international
hotel chains.
These changes
are expected
to increase
the income
from tourism
by 500 million
US Dollars[1]
[1]
Ofcansky,
Thomas P.
& Rodger
Yeager (eds,)
1997. Historical
Dictionary
of Tanzania
Second Edition,
Scarecrow
Press, Inc.:
London