Kalikawe calls for investment to unlock tourism potential

Dar es Salaam. It is critical to invest in tourism and take advantage of accessible tourist attraction locations in order to benefit the country’s economy and future generations.

Kiroyera Tours, Tanzania’s managing director, Mary Kalikawe, says that after being in the tourism industry for over 20 years, there is still a lot to be done to improve the sector and generate job possibilities.

“The government invests in and advertises other prospective tourism destinations to attract international investment. Tourism has many chances because it is a cross-cutting issue, but people do not recognise and make use of them,” she remarked.

She states: “The government, in collaboration with private tour operators, could involve the media to raise awareness about good customer care and services provided by various travel businesses and operators.

Ms Kalikawe, founder of the Association of Women in Tourism Tanzania (AWOTTA), believes that dedicating time to tourism activities will enhance business opportunities and attract diverse visitors to the country.

“As I speak to you, I am in Bukoba, although I have previously conducted city tours in Dar es Salaam and other locations in Tanzania. On Sunday, February 4, 2024, I received a phone call from someone who wanted to book a city tour in Dar es Salaam for Monday, February 5,” she said.

“I just made a few phone calls to arrange for a car and a tour guide, and the person was pleased with the services.”

Ms Kalikawe explains how she came up with the idea for a tour firm, stating that she was employed by the Botswana government as a tourism expert in the 1990s.

During that time, the Bostwana government began to build tourism sites in the majority of its communities.

As you know, Botswana was like a desert, but through initiatives, she started establishing capacity building and held festivals on the subject, and now Botswana is also attracting tourists.

Botswana was accepted in a global competition for essays on biodiversity conservation as a result of its efforts to integrate nature into the tourism sector.

When her contract in Botswana expired, she chose not to renew it or return to Tanzania to work.

 She was in her forties when she returned and saw Botswana as a desert.

She realised it was incredibly simple and an opportunity for her to start her own tour company in the country.

In 2001, she began the process of registering her company, Kiroyera Tours. Kihaya (local language) and Kiroyera (‘Ekiro Kyere’) mean “turn the dark day bright” or “see what is hidden.” 

The company offers tailor-made excursions around Tanzania and neighbouring countries.

She formally founded her company in 2002, and she has since been providing various tourist training to women, men, youth, and people from many sectors so that they may learn about and take advantage of the various opportunities available in tourism.

Individuals have been able to comprehend the process and value chain of tourism because of her efforts to build capacity in local communities as well as to connect individuals to do business.

She says that so far, a number of people are active in handcrafting, painting, and supplying food crops to various travel companies.

Ms Kalikawe also developed and published a book about wildlife-friendly fencing in Botswana.

With DANIDA, she conducted conservation research on the shoebill stork and the tourism potential of Tanzania’s Malagarasi-Moyowosi wetland.

When I first started the company, I was alone. Now, there are many people who have been trained as tour guide experts and are educating others.

Despite winning various awards, Ms Kalikawe still believes that more collaborative efforts are required to ensure the tourism sector becomes the number one income-generating sector in the country.

Ms Kalikawe is also a hands-on tourism business development professional; she owns a tourism company named Kiroyera Tours and Consulting, saying more women should participate in tourism and involve children to progress tourism for the next generation.

She has won numerous awards for her work, including the Pan Africa top ten women inventors and innovators in Ghana by the World Bank and Africa’s Most Influential Women in Business and Government by the CEO of South Africa.

As a consultant, she developed several clusters, including the Kagera Tourism Development Association (KATODEA), the Mwanza Tourism Association (MTA), and the Association of Women in Tourism Tanzania (AWOTTA).

Ms Kalikawe is passionate about developing domestic tourism; she considers domestic tourism to include not necessarily visiting national parks alone but also business tourism such as attending congresses and conferences as well as exhibitions, sports, and festivals.

She says the government has a lot to do to ensure the tourism sector contributes to the economy of the country because Tanzania has the potential to attract various tourists’.