Serengeti Unchallenged in World Travel Awards Gala

The Serengeti National Park emerged tops at the awards ceremony that took place at the weekend in Mauritius, after beating other five nominees including Kenya’s Maasai Mara Game Reserve and South Africa’s Kruger National Park.

This is the second recognition in a row for Serengeti after it won the best African Safari Park last year in ratings organized by SafariBookings.com. The win followed an in-depth study that included more than 2,500 reviews from safari tourists and industry experts.

In this year’s World Travel Awards, Thanda Island in Mafia district was also named Africa’s Leading Luxury Island 2019. The exclusive luxury privately-run island off the Indian Ocean coast beat three other contenders in the category.

Zanzibar’s Diamonds La Gemma dell'Est hotel won two categories: Africa's Leading All-Inclusive Resort 2019 and Africa's Leading Beach Resort 2019.

In 2017, Tanzania was named Africa’s Best Safari country by SafariBookings.com after an in-depth analysis of reviews from safari tourists and acclaimed Africa experts. In its announcement of the win, Safaribookings.com said more than 2,500 reviews were used in the comprehensive research which included contributions from safari-goers all over the world and 22 reputable guidebook authors.

Tanzania which is the largest country in East Africa focuses on wildlife conservation and sustainable tourism, and with approximately 28 percent of the land put under wildlife protection, it boasts of 15 national parks and 31 game reserves.

Also, it is the home of the tallest mountain in Africa, the legendary Mt Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti National Park, named in October 2006 as the New 7th Wonder of the World by ‘Good Morning America’ radio pogramme, the world-acclaimed Ngorongoro Crater, often called the 8th Wonder of the World. There is also the Olduvai Gorge, seen as the cradle of mankind as well as the Selous Game Reserve, the world’s largest game reserve.

Tanzania also has the Ruaha National Park currently the second largest national park in Africa, the spice islands of Zanzibar and Pemba, seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, historical sites in Zanzibar, beach tourism and cultural tourism.

The tourism sector directly employs hundreds of thousands of people and contributes to the country’s GDP and is the top earner of much-needed hard currency.

The Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) has since embarked on a brand promotion campaign to boost the country’s international appeal and visibility.

Dubbed ‘Tanzania – Unforgettable,’ the move seeks to encourage travelers and tourists to visit and share Tanzania’s amazing tourism offering to the world.