Tarime District is preparing to embark on tourism business. The district is keen on taking advantage of the increased number of tourists who enter or leave the country through Sirari on the Tanzania-Kenya border.
“We are ready to tap the emerging tourism opportunities in Tarime. Business people are opening new tourist hotels in order to accommodate the visitors including tour guides,” Tarime District Commissioner (DC), Mr John Henjewele, told the ‘Daily News’.
Tarime has witnessed a high number of visitors from different parts of the world streaming into the northern fringes of the world famous Serengeti National Park, to view a variety of wildlife including the 2013 wildebeest migration which comprises more than 1.5 million animals.
The good roads connecting western and northern Serengeti to Tarime District and the prevailing peace have helped to open new tourist routes in the area. Tarime people do not seem to realise the importance of investing in tourism activities but the DC is optimistic that things will change soon.
“This is a shortcut for tourists visiting the northern fringes of the Serengeti and more positive changes are coming,” Mr Henjewele said. Lack of serious travel companies and shortage of tourist hotels is also impeding the development of tourism in the Lake Zone Region, an area that is blessed with other tourist attractions that are yet to be developed and marketed.
Apart from wildlife, other tourists attractions found in the region include waterfalls on Mara River, active hot water springs at Busawe in Serengeti District, Lake Victoria beaches, beautiful hills in Rorya District and Butiama Museum in Butiama Village.
In Butiama Village Museum visitors are shown pictures and told the history of the late Father of the Nation, Mwalimu Julias Nyerere, who was born and brought up here.
By MUGINI JACOB, Tanzania Daily News
