Insecurity and poor safety for
international travellers threaten the local tourism sector amid an
absence of common laws and regulations to guide the sector.
Tanzania Association of Tour Operators
(TATO) Executive Secretary Mustapha Akunaay said the country should take
deliberate moves to protect visiting foreigners to boost the tourist
inflows.
“To repair the damage takes
ages...without the best tourism security even the best marketing will
fail,” Mr Akunaay told about 50 stakeholders gathered in a Dar es Salaam
hotel to put the final touches on the new tourism policy.
The envisaged policy seeks to support
the creation of special judicial system for cases relating to
international travellers and a separate police unit for tourists and
diplomats.
TATO conducted two BEST-AC financed studies on the impact of
Crimes on Tourism in Tanzania and Review of Legal Framework on Safety
and Security for Tourism in Tanzania 2012.
The finding proposed two actions—review
of the laws, policies and regulations pertaining to security system and
introducing special police unit to cater for special groups—diplomats,
foreigners, tourists and travellers.
“Safety and securities are vital to
providing quality tourism and in tandem to this, the government should
address the two recommendations,” TATO Chairman Leopold Kabendera told
the forum.
He said even though he had no supporting
data, tourism creates many jobs, citing South Africa where for every
arrival of the tourist, five jobs are created. “I think the situation is
close to Tanzania as well,” the Chairman said.
The government, on the
other hand, has already heeded the introduction of the special police
unit for tourist, late last year and 60 police are under the department
but fund remain an impediment to the execution of the project.
“At the moment the 60 police officers
are doing patrols on foot, defeating the unit’s purpose... we are
looking for 80m/- for orientation course of the other 240 officers in
the next budget,” the Unit Commander Assistant Commissioner of Police
Benedict Kitalika said
He said the squad lacks proper gear to
institute the required safety and security. So far the unit has prepared
special uniform for the unit that are easily identifiable. The police
are pulled from the existing police workforce but are given orientation
training on how to handle the tourists.
“We are in the process of signing a
memorandum of understanding with the ministry of tourism on the areas of
cooperation, but judiciary also should help us on speeding up tourists
related cases,” ACP Kitalika said.
Germany Embassy’s Economic Attaché Mr
Jan Gosink said the issue of safety and security of international
travellers was of paramount importance and commended TATO’s effort.
“(Despite) its importance is not easy to
answer all questions. It needs the effort of all people... but still is
quite safe to travel to Tanzania,” Mr Gosink said.
Various stakeholders
attended the forum whose deliberations would be forwarded to the
ministry of tourism and natural resource for immediate action to save
the industry that contributes 17.5 per cent to GDP.
The industry is number one contributor
of foreign currencies and offers about 500,000 direct jobs. In 2011,
tourists arrival reached 867,994, generating 1.354 billion US dollars
(2.166tr/-).
Source: The Daily News, www.dailynews.co.tz, reported by Abduel Elinaza in Dar es Salaam
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