Tanzania’s Bucket List Safari Destination Counters Overtourism

Despite the Serengeti safari market catering to high-end package tourism and relaying on DMCs, the upscale and luxury segment continue to produce premium rates. Here are some lessons that Asia can learn from Africa…

Serengeti National Park, located in northern Tanzania, is renowned for its abundant wildlife and safari activities. It is one of the most famous tourism destinations in Tanzania with an average market share of 31% between 2014 and 2018. Serengeti is the most visited national park in the country, which hosted 446,030 visitors in 2018 (latest data).

Typically, tourists travel to Serengeti with local DMCs (destination management companies) on a combined itinerary to other locations within the country. Transportation and logistics are a key challenge to travel inside the park as well as the surrounding area. Serengeti is accessible via road and air only. While most tourists opt for an overland safari with approximately eight hours’ drive, there are also nine airstrips within the park that accommodate flights.  As unique as a safari is, the high entrance fee and overnight park charges applied create a barrier to entry, which limits the visitation numbers and prevents overtourism.

Lodges and tented camps are the main choices of accommodation inside the park, ranging from economy to luxury tiers. While camps have the mobility to follow the migration cycle with fewer key counts, lodges have permanent structures ranging from 50 to 80 keys.

C9 Hotelworks has worked on a number of consulting assignments in the Indian Ocean and part of Africa including the Serengeti, Zanzibar and other emerging location over the past few years.

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