Entrance fees rise in Tanzania in 2021
Entrance fees rise in Tanzania in 2021 around 4 different national parks which includes Serengeti national park, Lake Manyara national park, Tarangire national park and Arusha national park was announced by the minister of Natural resources and tourism.
The national parks mentioned above are part of the northern tourist circuit of Tanzania which is a popular part of the country for safaris.
Dr Damas Ndumaro, the minister of natural resources and tourism of Tanzania announced on the 9th of February 2021 in the parliament in Dodoma that the entrance fees to Serengeti national park, Lake Manyara national park, Tarangire national park and Arusha national park would be increased effective 1st July 2021.
The announcement of the increase in entrance fees caused the different tour operators around Tanzania to react as the new entrance fees would possibly affect current bookings by clients planning to visit Tanzania after 1st of July 2021.
In 2020, the entrance fee for the different national parks around Tanzania was announced by the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) including multiple entries into the national parks and these fees were to be valid from 1st august 2020 to 30th June 2021.
The different tour operators of Tanzania also argued that the increase in entrance fees in the northern tourist circuit will make the cost of a safari to these national parks like Serengeti national park very expensive.
Another factor which was pointed out by the tour operators as an effect of increasing the entrance fees to Serengeti national park, Tarangire national park, Lake Manyara national park and Arusha national park was that it would lead to cancellation of bookings.
Entrance fees for Serengeti national park was to increase from 60 USD to 70 USD during the high season and during the low season, the park entrance is also to remain the same for tourists on safari.
Concession fees which are also paid by tourists on safari staying within the lodges in the national park was also according to the minister of natural resources and tourism of Tanzania said to increase from 50 USD to 60 USD.
The concession fees are paid to Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) which is in charge of conservation and managing these national parks.
Entrance fees for Lake Manyara national park and Tarangire national park according to the announcement by the minister of natural resources and tourism was to increase from 45 USD to 50 USD.
Concession fee for the other national parks was to remain at 40 USD for the tented camps and lodges in the national parks. Camping fees in Lake Manyara national park, Tarangire national park, Arusha national park and Serengeti national park was also to increase from 50 USD to 60 USD.
Other national parks apart from the 4 mentioned national parks in the northern tourist circuit of Tanzania were not affected by the increase in park entrance fees.
Arguments about the neighboring East African countries also like Kenya also reducing their park entrance fees as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic was also a defense raised by the Arusha MP who is also a previous commissioner in Arusha.
The COVID 19 pandemic affected the tourism not only in Tanzania but also in other countries around the world which are visited at different times of the year by tourists. Tourism is also a major income earning sector in different countries around the world benefiting even the local communities around the different wildlife viewing destinations.
Tourism as a sector is also a leading foreign exchange earner for Tanzania and in 2019 tourism contributed about 2.6 billion dollars to the economy according to the Bank of Tanzania. The figure however reduced in 2020 as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic to 1.6 billion dollars.
During the parliamentary gathering, other views which were shared in regards to the increase in the entrance fees in the 4 mentioned national parks was that as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic, the number of tourists has decreased and the raising of the entrance fees would only reduce the number of visitors on safari more.
Some of the ministers also argued that the COVID 19 pandemic should not be an excuse to avoid government revenue. It was also discussed that there were no statistics which showed that the cancellations increased due to the change in entrance fees.
Tour operators who has clients on safari during the COVID 19 pandemic were required to follow the different standard operating procedures.
Comparisons were also made during the discussion of increasing the entrance fees between what tour operators charge the tourists and the actual fees charged for entrance on the tour packages combined.
In response to the issues raised in regards to the increase of entrance fees to Serengeti national park, Tarangire national park, Lake Manyara national park and Arusha national park, the tourism minister said that the new entrance fees apply during the high season alone which is a form of balance between the 2 seasons.
The tourism minister Dr Damas Nduramo also argued that compared to the high number of vehicles which enter destinations during the high season each day, fewer vehicles enter the safari destinations during the low season each day and the increase in entrance fees in the high season would encourage more tourists to visit the national parks in the low season which is a way of preserving the ecology.
Some of the ministers present during the announcement of the increase in entrance fees were not satisfied with the issue and they were urged to continue the debate when discussing development plans and the budget which will be a forum to raise the issue of increase in entrance fees for the 4 national parks.
Recently on 28th January 2021, Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) also announced that effective 1st February 2021, all expatriates and nonresidents’ children would be required to upload work permits and or passports to justify their work contract or age status as evidence of payment of park entrance fees using the online reservation system. (Entrance fees rise in Tanzania in 2021)
