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Heavy rains damage Serengeti roads, disrupt tourism activities
What you need to know:
- Tour operators have voiced concern over worsening conditions, particularly along the Golini–Seronera stretch, where vehicles are frequently getting stuck, at times forcing tourists to miss scheduled flights.
Arusha. Torrential rains pounding Serengeti National Park have left key access roads in disrepair, disrupting tourism activities at the height of the season.
Tour operators have voiced concern over worsening conditions, particularly along the Golini–Seronera stretch, where vehicles are frequently getting stuck, at times forcing tourists to miss scheduled flights.
The Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (Tato) has urged the Tanzania National Parks Authority (Tanapa) to prioritise rehabilitation of the Ngorongoro–Seronera road through the Naabi Gate, which has also sustained extensive damage.
Tato Chairperson Willy Chambulo emphasised the urgency of safeguarding Serengeti’s global reputation as Tanzania’s top tourist attraction.
“Serengeti is Tanzania’s tourism icon. It must be well maintained if we are to protect its image as the flagship of the nation’s tourism industry. We therefore urge urgent repairs to the Ngorongoro–Seronera road,” he said.
Tour drivers have also expressed frustration over navigating the damaged tracks inside the park, where off-roading is prohibited. Game drive routes have become nearly impassable, with floodwaters washing away sections across the plains from Viboko to Mawe Meusi and near the Seronera River.
“Vehicles keep getting stuck, and sometimes tourists miss their flights. The rains are really heavy across these endless plains,” said Athuman Njiku, a driver with Solo Adventure.
Operators in Arusha have similarly appealed to Tanapa to act swiftly, describing Serengeti as the country’s most prized tourism asset.
The park attracts an average of 450,000 tourists annually, with peak traffic during the great wildebeest migration and the calving season of ungulates. It is Tanzania’s third-largest park after Nyerere and Ruaha and has won the World Travel Awards for seven consecutive years.
Responding, Tanapa Conservation Commissioner Juma Kuji said the authority collected over Sh500 billion in the 2024/25 fiscal year, surpassing its Sh430 billion target.
“We are aware of the situation, and part of this revenue will be invested in infrastructure rehabilitation, including entry gates, roads and bridges,” he said.
In 2018, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) initiated a project to reinforce the 80-kilometre Loduare–Golini stretch with environmentally friendly concrete slabs. The project was later aban
