| THE | ARUSHA TIMES |
ON THE WEB
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ISSN 0856-6135; No. 00205 |
January 26 - February 1, 2002 |
ON THE WEB
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Tanzania is not expensive enoughDear Editor, I refer to J.A.Taylor's letter complaining that Tanzanian tourism is too expensive to be competitive by comparison with, say, Thailand. He is right when comparing beaches, town hotels, restaurants and shops, but he is surely wrong when he tries to bring wildlife and National Parks and wilderness into the picture. What Thailand has to offer the tourist can be found in many places all over the world ‑ picturesque local culture, monuments, temples, beaches, fancy hotels, great service, etc. It therefore has to be as cheap as its competitors. In Tanzania the picture is different. Ngorongoro Crater and its wildlife cannot be compared with anything else in the world, nor can the Serengeti, nor can Lake Manyara, nor can many other wildlife destinations in Tanzania. Out of sheer rarity value these places can afford to be expensive. This isn't to say that the quality of the experience can't be improved in these places ‑ it certainly needs to be in many places. However when it is, I would argue that these places are not expensive enough!! Wildlife and wildernesses are rare and fast shrinking assets. It makes no sense to cheapen them, and then swamp and destroy them under a mass of tourists. Wildlife and a quality wildlife experience should be seen as a lever that can raise the price of what tourists are prepared to pay for a holiday in Tanzania. We need more revenue and fewer people, not the other way round. Congratulations on a great local newspaper. You inform us, amuse us and provoke us.
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Last modified:
January 25, 2002. Webmaster: WDJMallya |