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ZARA TANZANIA ADVENTURES CONSTRUCTED A NEW MODERN PRE-SCHOOL FOR MAASAI CHILDREN IN ENDULEN VILLAGE, NGORONGORO DISTRICT

Zara Tanzania Adventures (Zara Tours) has constructed a new and modern pre-school for Maasai children
in Endulen village, in Ngorongoro District, Arusha Region.

The move will provide basic formal education to the children and recruit them in the modern world and get freedom from continued cattle raring activities.

The school will start in January (2014), explained Zainab Ansell, ZARA Tours Managing Director company.

The pre-school has been constructed with funds from Zara Tanzania Charity, Zara Tours, Africa Safari and the Reinhold Beitlich Stiftung Foundation.

She said: “Once open, the school will not only provide education for pupils.  It will also act as a home for them as it will feature a dormitory.  “The pupils will be provided with clothes, as well as entertainment and health services.” 

According to Ansell the ultimate goal is to provide Maasai children with the opportunity to attend preschool where “they will hopefully learn a life-long love of education, gain early exposure to a classroom and begin cultivating skills.  “Ideally, the pupils will learn both Kiswahili and English while becoming better prepared for their primary school education. 

 “The hope is that having the opportunity to attend preschool will not only aid pupils with their future educational efforts, but also encourage them to stay in school longer; simultaneously.

The hope is that the early education of the children will also encourage community and parental support for formal education later on, she explained.

 According to Ansell the company would be contributing 20 per cent of the total cost of the school and “is proud to be working with partners to bring the Maasai pre-school to the community.”

Zara Tanzania Adventures (Zara Tours), founded in 1987, is currently one of the leading Mt Kilimanjaro outfitters in Tanzania and the largest safari operators in the country. 

Zara Tours owns and operates two hotels and three tented camps, has 88 safari and climbing expert guides who speak English, German and Spanish.

It also has a fleet of fully-equipped vehicles that take tourists on safari adventures or trek up Mt Kilimanjaro.

SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY

'Tourism, IT, communication are top priorities in Zanzibar'

Mohamed Aboud, Minister of State in the Office of the Second Vice-President of Zanzibar

Zanzibar is closely focusing on tourism, information technology and communication to boost economic development.

The Minister of State in the Office of the Second Vice-President of Zanzibar, Mohamed Aboud, said this during the launch of a special edition of postal stamps to mark 50 years of the Zanzibar revolution.

According to him, stamps have a great contribution to the development of tourism. He said it is the government’s wish to make Zanzibar one of the best tourism centres on the coast of the Indian Ocean.

He said the government is keen to increase the speed and growth of the economy, improve people’s lives and alleviate poverty by ensuring a secure environment in Zanzibar.

He challenged the Tanzania Postal Corporation (TPC) to put more efforts on printing creative stamps with themes that advertize Zanzibar’s attractive sites.

For his part, the TPC chairman, Yamungu Kayalabila, said printing of the stamps has followed the essence of the revolution’s history and the economic advancement attained by Zanzibar in 50 years since 1964.

He said the stamps will be in use officially from January 12 next year.

SOURCE; THE GUARDIAN

Air Tanzania Burundi-Dar Route Re-launched

After suspending the route for nearly 20 years, Air Tanzania has now announced that it will resume flights to Burundi, Mwanza and introduce a new service to Mbeya.

The airline will run its Dar Es Salaam – Bujumbura route on three days each week and will provide a direct service to Bujumbura, Burundi instead of requiring passengers to go through Nairobi.

The route is expected to facilitate stronger relations between the two countries as well as new opportunities for Tanzanian business.

According to The Observatory of Economic Complexity most recent data, in 2010 Tanzania exported 3,097,460 USD worth of goods to Burundi, while imports from the country were valued at 2,110,852 USD.

In addition to the resuming Burundi route, Air Tanzania are also re-launching a route to Mwanza, located in north-western Tanzania and introducing a new service to Mbeya, southwest Tanzania.

The news comes a month after Air Tanzania announced that Al Hayat Development and Investment, an Oman consortium, had agreed to invest over 100 million USD into the airline.

Referring to the deal, Air Tanzania Acting CEO Milton Lazaro noted that the substantial investment would dramatically strengthen the position of the airline.

Air Tanzania now intends to increase its fleet size to a total of 11 aircraft within the next five years.

Germany and Tanzania Agree Grants For Power, Water and Serengeti

Germany has agreed grants worth TZS121.89 billion to help provide greater water and energy access in Tanzania, as well as further support for the Serengeti national park. An additional third agreement will ensure that TZS45.059 billion is invested in the land, natural resources and park infrastructure of the Serengeti.

Speaking about the agreements, Dr Likwelile said that the grants would open up import-export opportunities for exchanging power with regional neighbours and help manage the upkeep of the Serengeti’s natural resources.

The three agreements were signed on behalf of the German Development Cooperation by Kfw Entwicklungsbank, Germany’s leading development bank and Tanzanian Ministry of Finance Permanent Secretary Dr Servacius Likwelile, last week in Dar es Salaam.

The agreement will see Germany allocate TZS43.96 billion to the development of a new transmission line from Geita to Nyakanazi, providing 32,500 rural people with access to electricity in the North West of Tanzania.

A further TZS32.79 billion will be contributed towards the country’s water development programme ensuring improvements in rural water supply and sanitation services.

He also noted the importance of the water development programme grant for reducing poverty and water borne diseases.

Germany and Tanzania have a long standing history of collaboration particularly in regards to energy, water, biodiversity and health.

France ADPI to Upgrade Zanzibar Airport

French Owned Engineering Company, Aeroports de Paris Ingenerie (ADPI), will manage the design and construction of a second terminal at Zanzibar International Airport.

After adapting design plans, carrying out further engineering studies and settling negotiations with Chinese building company BCEG, APDI will manage the resumption of work on a new 25,000sq metre terminal that will allow an additional 3 million passengers a year to come through the airport.

Construction of the second terminal, to be known as Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, was stopped in 2012 due to a failure to comply with international aviation standards.

Eager to resume the project due to the strategic benefits that it provides for tourism in the region, the Zanzibar Airport Authority (ZAA) and Ministry of Infrastructure and Communication (MoIC) have selected ADPI to take on the role of Project Manager until the terminal is completed.

Guillaume Sauve, ADPI CEO, emphasized that the expertise and experience of the French engineering company would ensure that value would be delivered for clients.

In 2012 Zanzibar welcomed 168,223 arrivals from overseas. 

SOURCE; TanzaniaInvest

BEST WESTERN PLANS TANZANIA EXPANSION FOR 2014

The world’s largest hotel chain, Best Western, plans to continue its regional expansion by opening two new hotels in Tanzania in early 2014.

 The US based hotel chain will continue to grow its presence in Africa by opening a four star, 90 room hotel in Dar es Salaam as well as another hotel in Zanzibar.

The decision was prompted by the growing regional market for business and leisure travel and the top line figures that are already being delivered in its existing African hotels.

Best Western opened its first hotel in Tanzania in 2010, the Best Western Coral Beach Hotel, in the exclusive Msasani Peninsula region.

The two new Tanzanian developments reflect the hotel chain’s wider African expansion plan which has seen it establish hotels in both Kenya and Ethiopia.

The hotel has said that it is also holding conversations with developers throughout the region including in Nairobi, Kampala, Tanzania and Ethiopia in regards to additional future projects.

The tourism sector in Tanzania recently surpassed gold as the primary currency earner in Tanzania.

In 2013 the country welcomed 1.1 million tourists and by 2015 annual tourists could grow to 1.6 million.

SOURCE; TanzaniaInvest

EAST AFRICAN TOURISM PROSPECTS LOOK BRIGHT; STARWOOD HOTELS & RESORTS WORLDWIDE INC

Tourism in the East African Community is set to witness a robust growth in 2014, a survey conducted by Sabre Travel Network indicates.

According to a report by the global firm, several hotel chains are planning to venture into the East African market in the next few years, which will greatly improve hotel infrastructure across the region.
Speaking at an award ceremony in honour of travel agents in Kenya, Sabre East Africa managing director Nazma Jamal said the region's tourism sector has a huge potential and is poised for a remarkable growth.
This is despite various challenges ranging from insecurity to physical infrastructure like limited accommodation facilities.  
Several top global hotel chains including Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide and Sheraton have lined up several investments in the coming months in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda to cash in on the growing demand for accommodation and conference facilities in the region.
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, a US hotel chain, plans to open six hotels in Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar in the next three years under the Sheraton franchise. Sheraton's project in Rwanda is also at an advanced stage. 
"We see a growth of 7 per cent and above in the coming year, which could accelerate to over 10 per cent if the necessary infrastructure and incentives are put in place by the respective governments," said Ms. Jamal.
She said East Africa has a huge potential such as beautiful coastlines in Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar to Uganda's and Rwanda's mountain gorillas, providing great tourism opportunities.
SOURCE; 4-traders, www.4-traders.com