Zara Adventures wins inaugural Tanapa tourism awards
Arusha. A Moshi-based firm has been announced the overall winner of the inaugural tourism awards by the Tanzania National Parks (Tanapa).
Zara Adventures, arguably number one Kilimanjaro outfitter, was declared the top winner of the 2019 awards during a gala dinner held here on Wednesday evening.
The firm's director and chief executive Ms Zainab Ansell received the award from the minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Hamis Kigwangala at a colourful ceremony at Mt. Meru Hotel.
Several other firms in the hospitality industry were awarded for excelling in various segments of tour operations; revenue collection, customer care, innovation, conservation and other aspects.
The awards were introduced by the conservation agency in order to motivate the key players in the multi-million dollar industry, currently leading in foreign exchange earnings.
Zara Adventures was established in 1986 by Ms Ansell upon exiting the national flag carrier Air Tanzania, later evolving to become the largest Kilimanjaro outfitter.
The company is currently one of the largest safari operators in the country for mountain climbing and operates two hotels and four tented camps in the northern circuit.
Dozens of several other firms were awarded, most of them based in Arusha and Kilimanjaro or largely operating safari tours and travels and lodges in the zone.
Speaking during after the awards, Dr. Kigwangala challenged the private sector to invest in accommodation facilities in the western and the southern zone.
He told the well-attended event broadcast live by TBC 1 that the government priority in the sector now was to promote the southern and western circuits.
He said the government would listen to suggestions from the private sector aimed to improve tourism services.
"The private sector is the engine of growth and we will listen to their suggestions so that we enhance our promotion efforts and increase revenues from tourism", he explained.
Tanapa Commissioner General Allan Kijazi said the tourism awards would be offered annually to the local players in the tourism sector.
Willy Chamburo, the chairperson of Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (Tato), a lobby group based in Arusha, lauded Tanapa for the initiative.
Tanapa Tourism Awards were given only weeks after the Serengeti National Park, one of the 16 protected areas managed by the conservation agency, won the World Travel Awards.
