Move to protect tourists from conmen
Tanzania is a country with many tourist attractions. Approximately 38 per cent of Tanzania’s land area is set aside in protected areas for conservation.There are 16 national parks, 29 game reserves, 40 controlled conservation areas and marine parks.
Tanzania is also home to Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest point in Africa.
Arusha. Days of unscrupulous tour operators in the country are numbered, as Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (Tato) has joined forces with the Police Force to protect tourists from conmen.
Tato and the state law enforcement organ have devised a strategy for deterring the conmen and the two have already boasted to foil one incident this week. “One suspect has been arrested this peak season,” Arusha regional police commander Charles Mkumbo revealed yesterday.
He said, the suspect would be arraigned and charged with swindling five French and Dutch tourists $2,000.
Mr Sirili Akko, the Tato chief executive officer, commended the Police Force and Tanzania National Parks for their cooperation in rescuing the tourists. “We, in the tourism industry, are duty bound to protect the image of the industry, for once it is damaged, we will all be at a loss,” Tato chairman, Mr Wilbard Chambulo, told The Citizen.
Jisca Diets and Rosemyn Aallen, from The Netherlands, Samir Ouadah, Jeam Booffay and Christophe Drevil, from France, said that they were conned when they were en route to Serengeti National Park on Tuesday.
The tourists said after sampling Zanzibar tourist attractions, they had arrived in Arusha from Morogoro aboard a public bus early this week ready for a three-day trip to Tarangire and Serengeti national parks as well as to Ngorongoro Conservation Area. “We planned to visit five tourist attractions, but, as a result of the conmen, we ended up going Zanzibar and Tarangire only,” said Ms Diets.
