Serengeti, Tanzania’s flagship national park, has been voted the third premium nature destination in the world in 2023, raising the country’s profile as Africa’s premier tourism destination.
Nature and outdoor enthusiasts across the World have casted their votes in favour of Serengeti in Tanzania, as the number three destinations, alongside Mauritius, and Kathmandu in Nepal, as the first and the second-place winners respectively. “Serengeti has been voted by nature and outdoor fans as the third premium nature destination in the World for 2023,” announced the Trip Advisor, the World’s largest travel platform serving 400 million tourists per month and organizer of the annual travellers’ choice award.
It wrote: “The Maasai call the plains of Serengeti national park, the place where the land moves on forever. And here, you can witness the famous Serengeti annual migration, the largest and longest overland migration on earth”.
From the sprawling Serengeti plains in Tanzania to the champagne coloured hills of Kenya’s Maasai Mara game reserve, over two million wildebeests and half a million zebra as well as gazelle, relentlessly tracked by Africa’s great predators, migrate in a clockwise manner over 1,800 miles each year in search of rain-ripened grass.
Created in 1952, Serengeti National Park is undoubtedly the best-known wildlife sanctuary in the world, unequalled for its natural beauty and scientific value, it has the greatest concentration of plains game in Africa. The Conservation Commissioner of Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), William Mwakilema, received the news with gratitude, saying it was a vote of confidence to Tanzania’s destination from the global consumers.
Mr. Mwakilema noted: “No doubt, our painstaking efforts to conserve Serengeti flora and fauna, the customised tourism services, innovation, and experience have paid dividends. We are grateful that Serengeti has been voted as the third best nature based national park in the World”.
“We are deeply grateful for continued support from satisfied tourists and green supporters whose anonymous votes enabled our victory. We feel extremely honored and humbled by such a ranking.” Certainly, the achievement, he said, will create a buzz among the staffs, giving them a better sense of confidence as well as a rise in engagement and productivity knowing that their hard work is internationally recognized.
“Equally important, the feat comes with an intensified client awareness and recognition, as the tourists will feel confident in Tanzania’s credibility and will have more trust and loyalty to the tourism destination than ever before” TANAPA chief noted. TANAPA board Chair, Rtd General, George Waitara said the award comes at the opportune moment as it will complement the President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan and her government’s efforts to spur tourism industry and contribute significantly in the economy.
“Serengeti triumph will go a long way in stimulating tourism, thus putting the country into a better position to achieve its five million visitors target by 2025” Rtd Waitara noted. The ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi manifesto clearly stipulates that tourism will attract five million tourists who will leave behind nearly $6.6 billion by 2025 with expected real multiplier effects to a critical mass of common folks in Tanzania, particularly women and youth.
Tourism remains at the centre of the Tanzania’s economy in terms of contribution to its GDP growth, foreign currency, jobs and also plays an integrator role of connecting other sectors with the global economy. In real terms, tourism is a money-spinning industry in Tanzania as it creates 1.3 million decent jobs, generates $2.6 billion annually, equivalent to 18 as well as 30 percent of the country’s GDP and export receipts, respectively.
