DODOMA, March 10 (Xinhua) -- The number of tourists visiting Tanzania's 22 national parks remained steady over the past year despite the damage caused by ongoing rains to the infrastructure of most of the national parks, a senior official said Sunday.
Mobhare Matinyi, the chief government spokesperson and director of the Information Services, said that between July 2023 and February 2024, 1,451,176 tourists visited the national parks, with the Serengeti National Park being the primary attraction. The Serengeti National Park, a World Heritage Site located in northern Tanzania, is renowned for its massive annual migration of wildebeest and zebra.
The Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), an organization dedicated to protecting and preserving areas designated as national parks for sustainable conservation, had set a target of attracting 1,387,987 tourists in 2023/2024. However, the latest figures indicate that this target has been surpassed, Matinyi said at a press conference in the capital, Dodoma.
The heavy rains, which have affected the infrastructure in most of the national parks, did not hinder the steady growth of tourist visits, he added, noting that the TANAPA is working tirelessly to renovate the damaged roads to ensure a smooth flow of tourists.
