MWANZA SET TO NURTURE TOURISM CULTURE

Mwanza set to nurture tourism culture

The Citizen on Sunday Reporter

 Sunday, October 6   2013 

In Summary

The second largest city at the moment and the fastest developing capital of the Lake Zone regions, Mwanza is determined to make tourism its fourth source of income and investment after agriculture, livestock keeping and fishing, an endeavour that needs emphasis on change of attitude.

Mwanza. Making agro-pastoral communities embrace tourism culture has proved a daunting task to regional authorities and the sector’s stakeholders in Mwanza, as evidenced during the Tourism Week fair.

The second largest city at the moment and the fastest developing capital of the Lake Zone regions, Mwanza is determined to make tourism its fourth source of income and investment after agriculture, livestock keeping and fishing, an endeavour that needs emphasis on change of attitude.

“Mwanza and its Lake Zone neighbours are gifted in abundant tourist attractions, but lack of tourism culture has been a major setback,” notes Mr Manjit Sandhu, the owner of a chain of tourist hotels in Mwanza and Serengeti plains.

Initiated by then regional commissioner, Mr Daniel ole Njoolay, the endeavour to turn Mwanza into a hub of tourism has proved a daunting task for his successors as evidenced in the two editions of Tourism Week fair for the Lake Zone.

“There is no awareness at all here, residents of Mwanza have not fully realised the importance of this fair and tourism. It is just not in their mind,” noted Tully Kulanga, an exhibitor at the ministry of Tourism and Natural Resources’ pavilion.

The week-long fair at Nyamagana Stadium failed to impress residents due to what observers claim poor publicity and lack of business acumen.

“I just happen to take a look at the fair, I found it had everything we need to see or buy from agro machinery, home appliances, garments, traditional herbs to both traditional and imported ornaments,” noted a visitor, Mr Juma Saidi Obote.

As witnessed by The Citizen on Sunday during the fair, tourism to an average Mwanza resident is still taken as ‘all about half naked Europeans’ in dark sun glasses, an attitude that wrongly distances them from reality.

“Most of us think that tourism is unfriendly because it can cause change or loss of local identity and values,” claimed Jilala Ng’wanashimba, a bodaboda rider near Nyamagana Stadium.

Correcting the Sukumaland’s attitude, Arusha-born Paulina Boma, also exhibitor, said even culture plays part in tourism and, as it has been proved through Maasai communities in Arusha and Manyara regions, cultural tourism can also help similar communities in Sukumaland reap handsomely from the sector.

“Tourism can turn local cultures into commodities when religious rituals, traditional ethnic rites and festivals are reduced and sanitised to conform to tourist expectations, resulting in what has been called “reconstructed ethnicity,” she said.

She added, once a destination is sold as a product, and the tourism demand for souvenirs, arts, entertainment and other commodities begins to exert influence, basic changes in human values may occur.

As added by Manjit Sandhu, landscape, accommodation, food and drinks must meet the tourists’ desire for the new and unfamiliar, they must at the same time not be too new or strange because few tourists are actually looking for completely new things.
“Tourists often look for recognisable facilities in an unfamiliar environment, like well-known fast-food restaurants and hotel chains. The Sukumaland people have everything to offer tourists apart from Saanane Island and Rubondo National Park,” adds Mr Manjit.
As long as tourists just want a glimpse of the local atmosphere, a quick glance at local life, without any knowledge or even interest, staging will be inevitable.
Tourists want souvenirs, artefacts, crafts, and cultural manifestations, and in many tourist destinations, craftsmen have responded to the growing demand, and have made changes in design of their products to bring them more in line with the new customers’ tastes. While the interest shown by tourists also contributes to the sense of self-worth of the artists, and helps conserve a cultural tradition, cultural erosion may occur due to the ‘commoditisation’ of cultural goods.
The presence of JB Bellmont and New Mwanza Hotel, both tourist-class hotels, helped to give the fair the desired tourist look, which, however didn’t have much impact due to low turn out.
“Those millions of tourists who annually flock to Arusha are not after game found in Manyara or Ngorongoro, residents who know how to treat visitors play a vital role in the industry’s sky-leap success,” said an attendant at JB Bellmont pavilion, who declined to unveil his name because he was not officially authorised to speak to the media.
As noted by many stakeholders during the fair, residents here are still glued to the fact that tourists are the ones who come from societies with different consumption patterns and lifestyles than what is current at the destination, seeking pleasure, spending large amounts of money and sometimes behaving in ways that even they would not accept at home.
“Let residents of Mwanza and the entire Lake Zone be educated that tourism starts right at home with local tourism which in simple words can be explained as a good home next to the neighbour’s house,” said a Kenyan-born traditional herbs’ exhibitor, Peter Kara.
Though that should not be considered as dominating fact against the sector, tourists often, as noted by Tully Kulanga at the ministry’s pavilion, out of ignorance or carelessness, fail to respect local customs and moral values. When they do, they can bring about irritation and stereotyping.
Spearheaded by the an appeal to change the name of its airport to Serengeti International Airport, the region is determined to become a major tourist destination.
Led by the regional commissioner, Mr Evarist Ndikilo, Mwanza announced strategies during the fair that would enable the region to increase the volume of tourists heading to Serengeti National Park via its airport, a move likely to threaten the dominance of Arusha-based route.
Strategies include a plan to enhance the western Tanzania route that includes Mahale, Gombe, Rubondo Island, which is mostly favoured by tourists with an interest in historic MV Liemba.
Mr Ndikilo announced the strategies during the official opening of the fair.
He said the private sector that the region, in collaboration with Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) was committed to further promote tourism and vast natural attractions available in the region and the entire lake Zone.
He said the region would implement the goal in collaboration with private sector and other institutions.
“We will encourage tourism stakeholders via all available means including website and public announcements, while working close to Tanzania Tourism Board (TTB),” he said.
With a goal to make tourism, a fourth major source of income after agriculture, fishing and pastoralism, the region’s goal is to ensure it generates more income through both local and international tourisms.
Engineer Ndikilo reiterated the need for local people to develop the culture of local tourism and not stop thinking it as solely foreign visitors’ affair.
He said that Mwanza region is gifted to have diverse and unique natural attractions together with apart from splendid beaches of Lake Victoria.
He named aquatic tourism, Saa Nane Island as well as cultural tourism as among 47 identified attractions across the Lake Zone regions.
Engineer Ndikilo noted that Mwanza is closer to Serengeti National Park than Arusha and it takes just one hour and a half to reach it using road transport.
Before the launch of Mwanza Tourism Week, there was a ritual performance that indicated the need for developing culture and tradition among Sukuma tribe that aimed at praying an increase of tourists in Lake Zone regions.
The Lake Zone regions traditional chief general, Ilago Kafipa led ritual performance to display Sukumaland’s rich cultural heritage.

Tanzania angers conservationists

State House Director of Communications, Mr Salva Rweyemamu 

By Lucas Liganga The Citizen Reporter

Posted  Sunday, October 6   2013 

In Summary

• The campaigners want the President to protect Tanzania’s global credentials in conservation by vetoing huge infrastructure projects in areas they want preserved for posterity. The projects they are concerned about include the spectacular Serengeti National Park.

Dar es Salaam. President Jakaya Kikwete has come under renewed pressure from international conservationists, who have raised the alarm over what they see as Tanzania’s rush into development projects that have far-reaching environmental effects.

The campaigners want the President to protect Tanzania’s global credentials in conservation by vetoing huge infrastructure projects in areas they want preserved for posterity. The projects they are concerned about include the spectacular Serengeti National Park.

But State House immediately dismissed the petition and said the government would not deviate from its development agenda. Serengeti Watch, a project of the Earth Island Institute, cited massive new development, government inaction and an eroding conservation ethic as the factors that are pushing the rich heritage to the brink.

On Thursday, the State House Director of Communications, Mr Salva Rweyemamu, dismissed such organisations as “spoilers seeking their own survival from foreign financiers”. It was not the first time such petitions were being made, he added. “The Serengeti Road will be built as planned, uranium will be mined as planned and the soda ash plant will also be constructed,” Mr Rweyemamu said on the phone from Moshi.

One thousand and five hundred environmentalists worldwide signed the Serengeti Watch petition this week and stressed the need to stop plans to construct the Serengeti Road, mining of uranium at Selous Game Reserve and construction of a soda ash plant at Lake Natron.

But Mr Rweyemamu argues that Tanzania has been in the frontline in efforts to conserve its wildlife and natural heritage and has set aside 30 per cent of its land for conservation.

“Which other country in the world has done that,” he asked.

When President Kikwete recently received a conservation award in the US, Mr Rweyemamu added, he vowed to deploy the army in the anti-poaching crusade to prove his commitment to conservation.

The Serengeti Watch petition is apparently riding on the back of the same US recognition to press President Kikwete into action. The petitioners also resorted to name-dropping of their own, referring to US President Barack Obama’s visit to Tanzania in their effort to capitalise on their mutual interests in conservation efforts.

President Obama spoke openly of the devastating loss of wildlife in Africa during the visit and signed a $10 million initiative to combat poaching and wildlife trafficking.

The petition urges President Kikwete to stop the slaughter of elephants with decisive action, saying jumbos in Tanzania are being killed at a tragic rate. “There is little time left,” the petitioners say. “You have an historic opportunity to reverse this destructive downward spiral and ensure the survival of your nation’s remarkable natural legacy.”

The petition quoted an extensive report just released by the United Nations showing that Tanzania leads the African continent as the source of blood ivory.

he petition also calls for permanent protection of the Serengeti ecosystem by prohibiting any development that will endanger the spectacular annual animal migration. Scientists argue that introducing commercial traffic into the park will put an end to the great migration. The government stands accused of ignoring international help to build a southern route around the park.The petition also urges the government to halt plans to build a soda ash factory on Lake Natron, the breeding ground of virtually all of Africa’s Lesser Flamingoes.

Serengeti Watch is also urging the government to work with conservationists to protect the Selous Game Reserve from projects such as uranium mining and construction of a dam on the Rufiji River, a critical water source.

Uranium mining is set to begin in Selous, which has one of the largest concentrations of elephants in Africa. There are also plans for a dam on the Rufiji River, which is a critical source of water in the Selous Game Reserve.

On a plan to develop a multi-million dollar deep water port at Mwambani Bay in Tanga region, the petition urges the government to drop it on the grounds that it will destroy the Tanga Coelocanth Marine National Park.

The envisaged port project will pose a threat to the survival of the Coelacanth, the world’s oldest and most enigmatic fish.

In an effort to protect it, the Tgovernment decided to create a marine park along the Tanga south coast and, on August 28, 2009, the then Minister for Livestock Development and Fisheries, Dr John Pombe Magufuli, gazetted the area stretching from Tanga Bay outwards up to the fishing village of Kigombe.

The park also includes Toten Island, Mwambani Bay and the Yambe and Karange Islands, where most of the Coelacanths have been found so far, according to a notice published in the government gazette.

The petition says Unesco was keen to make the Eastern Arc Mountains a World Heritage Site but the government abruptly stopped the process after 15 years of work.