Charge Kenya royalty on Mt Kilimanjaro

Earlier this year, a local newspaper somewhat shocked half-the-world, reporting that Tanzania had‘overtaken Kenya to become the regional tourist hub after ‘far outpacing’ the neighbouring country in both tourist arrivals and earnings...!’

Citing figures presented to the National Assembly in Dodoma last April by Premier Kassim Majaliwa, the paper stated that ‘Tanzania hosted 1,284,279 tourists in Year-2016, a 12 per cent increase from the 1,137,182 tourist arrivals in 2015.’

In comparison, ‘Kenya received 874,385 tourists in 2016, a 16.7 per cent increase from 752,073 arrivals in 2015,’ the paper stated.

Turning to Bank of Tanzania statistics, the paper said Tanzania’s ‘earnings from tourism rose by 11 per cent last year – to US$2.23bn, up from $2.01bn in 2015 – as a direct result of the increase in tourist arrival numbers...’

Kenya’s tourism drops

Kenya’s tourism revenues dropped by 2.87 per cent in 2015, to around $837m!’ [See ‘Tanzania overtakes Kenya as regional tourism hotspot:’ The Guardian-Dar, April 10, 2017].

Oh, there were equally-juicy bits elsewhere on Tanzania’s tourism business…

On October 10, 2017, another paper revealed that tourisn arrivals in the EA Community member countries (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, named here strictly in alphabetical order) were ‘expected to rise by some 5m by Year-2020 – thanks to a special programme, ‘East Africa Tourism and Hospitality Project-2017,’initiated by Mikono Speakers…’

According to figures released by Trade Mark-East Africa, the paper said,‘the east African region pulls in an estimated 5.4m visitors annually – out of whom around 1.3m come to Tanzania…’

Sounds fantastic? Then, just ‘Google’ for ‘New plan to boost tourist arrivals in EA in next two years,’ by Rosemary Mirondo; The Citizen: October 10, 2017].

Well… ‘Yours truly’ hadhis piece titled ‘To enjoy Mt Kilimanjaro, come to Tanzania...’ published in The Citizen on September 21, 2017.

That article sought to highlight the saga city that ‘the power of publicity can move mountains,’ and wreak untold havoc or blessed bliss, all depending!

In My Book of Things, publicity – alternating, or in combination, with ‘advertising’ – is a most powerful tool in ways more than one!

‘Just look at the way Kenya next-door drew in tourist hordes by subtle advertising, making use of clever and indirect methods to achieve their goal without havint to shout from the treetops!

[SAMPLES: 1): ‘Come to Kenya and SEE/CLIMB Mount Kilimanjaro!’ 2): ‘Kenya’s Tourism Minister Morris Dzoro told a travel agents conference that Mount Kilimanjaro was one of his country’s top tourist attractions. [See ‘Neighbours row over Kilimanjaro:’BBC News, June 8, 2005]].

Mark you: nowhere did the crafty Kenyan promoters aver in so many words that the world-famous Kilimanjaro – at 5,895m/19,341ft above sealevel‘Africa’s Roof’ and the world’s highest stand-alone mountain – is in Kenya!

Foraeons, foreigners – especially those who missed out much in their Geography classes – made a beeline for Kenya which, they (wrongly) believed, was the only place from where to view and climb up ‘The Kili!’

Tanzanians usually lamented the developments, whining that Kenya was playing dirty/rough – instead of vigorously countering with our own promotional publicity to demonstrate beyond doubt that ‘the Roof of Africa’ was in Tanzania, all of 20km from the common border with Kenya!

Oh, I don’t know… But, shouldn’t Tanzanians seriously consider charging ‘royalty’ on the use of ‘their Kilimanjaro’ – equating it to a wealth-generating resource/asset?

After all, the mountain is alsocallously exploited by Kenyans to grow rich – as their Tourism Minister Dzoroso blithely discombobulated the world, claiming that ‘Mount Kilimanjaro is one of his country’s top tourist attractions!’

By parity of reasoning,Kenyan sought a pay royalty or whatever to the real/sole owners of the world’s highest stand-alone mountain, Tanzanians, for gainfully exploiting their natural asset... Cheers!