Tanzania: Record 300 Tycoons Visit Serengeti National Park

Arusha — About 300 rich Australian traders are in the country on a game viewing experience of the country's famous National Park, Serengeti.

Seronera Airstrip in Serengeti was over the weekend overwhelmed by nearly 50 four-wheel drive vehicles that were waiting to receive the 298 tourists from Australia who landed in the national park for extended three day tour.

Natural Resources and Tourism Minister Dr Hamisi Kigwangala said the government was thrilled to receive the visitors, saying more strategies are underway to boost the sector. "We have already launched the strategy to attract more tourists and open up new markets in various countries, the coming of Australian tourists shows that our strategies are working," said Dr Kigwangala.

He said the sector expects 200,000 new tourists every year, adding that his office plans new strategy to introduce Tanzania tourism sector as 'Tanzania, the land of the unforgettable'.

The Minister added that the ministry and Tanzanian Ambassadors abroad are doing everything in their capacity to attract more tourists in the country.

Tanzania National Park (TANAPA) Public Relations Officer Paschal Shelutete insisted that the Australians' presence in the country was yet another confirmation that the tourism sector in the country was growing, thanks to ongoing efforts to advertise the country's various tourist attractions

.The visitors jetted into the country aboard the Qantas Boeing 747 plane, branded the 'Spirit of Australia,' which landed at Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) over the weekend. Mr Shelutete said the landing of the rich tourists has marked a new history in the Tanzania tourism sector.

He said it was the first time Tanzania received a big number of tourists at once. According to Mr Shelutete the tourism business is now on low season and that receiving such a big number of tourists marks a new history in the country.

"We always receive 100 up to 120 tourists at once, this time around we have received over 250 tourists at once, this is history," he said. It was established that soon after disembarking from the large plane, the passengers did not waste time; they were driven into smaller aircrafts that flew directly into the 'endless plains' of Serengeti for the intended spectacular game viewing.

They apparently by-passed Arusha en-route to the country's famous national park. The tourists left Sidney Australia on April 22 and they have so far covered, Hanoi, in Vietnam; Delhi (India) for Taj-Mahal.

They are currently in Serengeti before departing tomorrow for Marrakech, Morocco. From Morocco, they will head to the United States and land in New York, then target Havana in Cuba before flying into the French Polynesia Island of Tahiti and afterwards complete their global touring in Sidney on May 12, 2018.

'Qantas,' which is the acronym for 'Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services,' is the flag carrier of Australia and so far the largest airline by fleet size, international flights and international destinations.

This was the first time, one of its aircrafts landed at KIA but on 'Constellation Private jetting.' 'Qantas,' is the third oldest airline in the world, after KLM and Avianca, having been founded in November 1920 before starting its international passenger flights in May 1935.