Key Serengeti National Park gateway now faces threat from mass tourism
Arusha: The northern gateway for the world-renowned annual wildebeest migration across Serengeti National Park is facing imminent threats from burgeoning tourism undertakings.
This iconic migration, the largest of its kind on the planet, sees nearly two million wildebeest traverse the Serengeti and Maasai Mara Reserve each year in search of fresh grazing and water.
The spectacle draws nearly 1.9 million tourists annually generating more than $1.6 billion revenue per annum, but now the very tourism industry profiting from its wonder has turned out to be its worst enemy, threatening to turn it down.
During peak tourist season, the northern Serengeti gateway—a relatively small area of 4,000 square kilometers—can be overwhelmed by an average of 600 safari vehicles daily, carrying around 4,200 visitors craving to witness this natural wonder.Mr. Wilbard Chambulo, a key tourism investor and Chairman of the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO), has raised a red flag against reckless driving by safari vehicles at the joint stakeholders meeting in Arusha.
Drivers often exceed speed limits and disregard conservation regulations to compete for the best viewing spots.
“This behavior threatens the delicate ecosystem and may degrade Kogatende into an unsightly, dusty field, if not addressed” Mr.Chambulo said.
