Untapped Lake Ngosi a unique tourist attraction

Rungwe. Tourism stakeholders are calling for researchers to find out if tourist boats can be allowed into Lake Ngosi, which currently attracts only photography despite its potential.

Tanzania Forest Service Agency (TFS) tourism officer Ms Jesca Mjata invited the researchers to identify other opportunities in the lake estimated to attract between 200 and 500 domestic and foreign tourists per month.

The lake is located in the middle of the mountains.

“Following the promotions, people have begun to know this lake due to its history. They want to come and marvel at its wonders,” she said.

“We invite researchers to identify other tourism opportunities like boat rowing tourism,” she said.

Ms Mjata was speaking with journalists during the tour to the southern regions, organised by the Tanzania Tourism Board (TTB) under the Resilient Natural Resource Management for Tourism and Growth Project (Regrow), which seeks to promote tourism attractions available in the southern regions.

She said the areas covered by natural forest have investment opportunities such as ecology and site camps, among others.

“There are some investors who have shown interest in investing in these areas, and they are in discussion with top management,” she said.

Explaining further, she said Lake Ngosi is the second largest in Africa among lakes that were created from the volcano eruption, and its appearance is like a map of Africa, but the native people have their own traditional histories, which together make the place unique.

The Rungwe district commissioner, Mr Jafari Haniu, said the largest volcano lake is found in Ethiopia, adding that Lake Ngosi is unique as it’s surrounded by mountains.

“In Rungwe district, there are various opportunities for tourism, including the lake and natural banana trees, which are also rare and unique. “We invite investors to come and experience the various opportunities here,” he said.

For her part, TTB public relations officer, Ms Augustina Makoye, said there are many tourist attractions in the southern regions, including lakes, beaches, and national parks, as well as cultural tourism.

The Regrow project has been established specifically to promote those attractions around the world.

She said the government continues to open various opportunities for both local and foreign investors throughout the country in an attempt to expand the tourism sector, increase employment, and generate more foreign currency.