Tanzania is thus introducing ‘Golf Tourism.’
This new ‘Sports Travel’ package targets to boost the country’s tourism industry which suffered the two-year long, pandemic blast.
The country turns into International Sporting activities in order to use alternative attraction in boosting its incoming tourists’ traffic just as the global travel industry is slowly, but surely recovering from Covid-19 pandemic.
Through the Tanzania Tourist Board, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism is laying grounds for annual Golfing events to be participated by enthusiasts from all over the globe.
Borrowing a leaf from its Kenyan neighbor, Tanzania targets global affluent travelers that would like to sample these hybrid leisure activities; combining wildlife gazing and environment friendly sports.
Therefore when introducing the special package of sports tourism recently, the Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Damas Ndumbaro, invited Kenya’s Minister of Tourism and Wildlife, Najib Balala to tee off the event at the Kilimanjaro Golf and Wildlife Estate in Arusha.
“Kenya is already far ahead when it comes to Golf Tourism, there is plenty for us to learn from our neighbors,” explained the Tourism Minister, Dr. Ndumbaro.
Tanzania gets an average of 1.5 million tourists in a year (figures before the pandemic), with nearly 90 percent of these, ending up in the country’s Northern Zone Circuit, where they get to visit mostly the Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park and Mount Kilimanjaro.
Others prefer sun-bathing on mostly the Zanzibar Isles’ beaches.
Tanzania hopes to recover what was lost in tourism during the two years of pandemic by introducing new attractions, activities and possible tempting offers.
Backed with proper promotion, better packaging and active synchronization with other tourism packages, Tanzania focuses to use newly introduced Tourism Golf in boosting tourists arrivals to reach 5 million by the year 2025 likewise earnings from the industry should reach 6 billion/-
“Of course, golf is always regarded as a Sport for the wealthy and affluent people,” said Kenyan Tourism Minister, Najib Balala, before adding with a glee; “But then, the loaded guys are exactly the people we target in tourism.”
International Golfing is therefore being banked upon to be yet an alternative, if not a future ‘Add-on’ package, in the Tanzanian tourism industry, currently ‘Phoenixing’ from own ashes, following the Pandemic inferno.
With the launching portal for Tanzania Tourist Golf being the Kilimanjaro Golf and Wildlife Estate, neatly complements the Sports tourism initiative.
The Kilimanjaro Golf and Wildlife Estates, located in Arumeru District, happens to be a lush-green 18-hole Championship Golf course, complete with VIP accommodation.
The estate features spectacular views of both Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak and Mount Meru, Tanzania’s second tallest Mountain.
The Golf Club is just a stone-throw from Nduruma Polo Club and less than 30 minutes drive to the Arusha National Park. The grounds also offers, curtain-raiser views of wildlife species that frequents the area.
Golf, apparently is a sport which blends seamlessly with tourism and conservation.
The Tanzania Tourism Board (TTB) Chairperson, Judge Thomas Mihayo, said the country’s tourism suffered from the Covid-19 pandemic, which practically grounded the entire global travel industry.
Mihayo pointed out that efforts to revive the sector, this time need introduction of new packages and offers.
On his part, the Tanzania Golf Union’s President, Chris Martin reminded that while launching Golf Tourism was commendable, the country’s Sport development is still being constrained by the few and inadequate golf courses to complement the efforts.