Zanzibar tourism increases tourists Mikumi National Park

Morogoro: The growth of the tourism industry in Zanzibar has been a boon to the Mikumi National Park after the increase in the number of tourists in the park located in Southern Tanzania.

This has been revealed after many international tourists visiting Mikumi located in Morogoro region, appeared on the islands.

Those tourists who come to visit the Zanzibar Islands, combine their trips and go directly to the airport within the reserve.

Speaking to journalists visiting the reserve today, May 17, 2024, Second Grade Conservation Officer, Fatuma Mcharazo said for 10 months from July 2023 to April this year, they have received 111,564 tourists, of which 59,840 are foreigners and 51,724 are Tanzanians.

“This is different from previous years, we used to receive many domestic and foreign tourists while being few, for example in 2020/2021 we received 46,517 tourists, foreign citizens being only 15,104 and in 2021/2022 we received 66,890 tourists while foreigners were 23,300 and the year 2022/2023 we got 109,112, where tourists from abroad were 50,133,” said Fatuma.

“The growth of tourism in Zanzibar has helped a lot to push the development of tourism in our reserve, many who visit here come from Zanzibar and land here by plane and after finishing their activities they return to Zanzibar,” said Fatuma.

He said that among the things that attract the tourists is the ability to tour the park with a size of 3,230 Kilometers in one day only and finish it, while witnessing all the important animals.

He has said that in order to ensure that the visitors are more interested in staying in the reserve, they are starting strategies to increase the accommodation infrastructure from accommodating the current 300 tourists to 600 tourists at a time.

“Besides that, we are making sure that our Kikoboga airport is completed quickly to be able to receive a bigger plane capable of carrying up to 50 passengers, unlike the ones currently landing for 12 passengers,” he said.

One of the tourist guides in the reserve, Joseph Chuwa, has asked the Government to supervise the construction of Kikoboga Airport so that it can be completed quickly.

“The current airport is small, the Government would make a plan to speed up this big airport that started to be built last year under the Regrow project,” said Chuwa.