Well, the Serengeti National Park has once more been crowned Africa’s leading National Park in 2025.
The home of the great Wildebeest Migration, Serengeti was voted in the World Travel Awards (WTA) prestigious polls for the seventh time in a row.
The Africa and Indian Ocean Gala Ceremony for the 32nd World Travel Awards (WTA) winners’ event was held at the Johari Rotana Hotel along the Indian Ocean coastline of Dar-es-salaam City, on the night of Saturday, June 28, 2025.
The award was presented to General George Waitara, the Chairperson of the Tanzania National Park (TANAPA) board of trustees.
Serengeti beat other contenders such as the Central Kalahari Game Reserve of Botswana, Kruger National Park in South Africa, Etosha National Park of Namibia and
Famous for the annual migration of nearly 2 million wildebeests and zebras, Serengeti measuring 14,763 square kilometers of wilderness, is Tanzania’s third largest National Park after Nyerere and Ruaha.
The National Park, featuring all the Big-Five species and spellbinding landscapes, attracts an average of 450,000 tourists per year, making it the most popular wildlife tourism destination in the country.
Serengeti is currently also working to increase its tourism appeal by constructing an international golf course along the National Park’s borderline at Fort Ikoma.
Recently also Serengeti grew bigger and gained a direct and virgin access to Lake Victoria, which is Africa’s largest freshwater body.
The National Park size was increased, stretching its western boundaries to reach the shores of Lake Victoria at Speke Bay, which also gives the conservancy a corridor featuring a special delta similar to Botswana’s Okavango.
Tanzania had dished out 45.9 Billion/- equivalent to USD18.5 Million to compensate the residents who have now moved out to pave way for conservation efforts.
Conservators say moving about 8,000 people out of the Speke Game Controlled Area in Bunda district of Musoma, was essential to conserve the Serengeti’s ecosystem as it faces worsening drought.
The Serengeti national park will now extend to include all the dry land between the lake shore and its current boundary which flanks the highway North from Mwanza, between where it crosses the Mbalangeti River at its Southern end and the Grumeti River some 12 kilometers north.
Serengeti, which initially measured 14,763 square kilometers, has now become bigger with additional 54.67 square kilometers, boosting its size to 14,818 square kilometers but Serengeti will remain the third largest National Park in Tanzania after Nyerere and Ruaha.
Serengeti is also the first National Park to be established in Tanzania having been gazetted in 1959 alongside its next-door neighbour, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.