Travel News Europe - #88 - November 2008 - (Page 14)
n destination/ TANZANIA hard facts What’s New A museum housing tanzanite gemstones and relics has recently opened in Arusha Municipality, Tanzania’s tourism hub. The ‘Tanzanite Experience’ is the first ever facility dedicated to this precious mineral, which is only found in Merelani, in the Simanjaro district in northern Tanzania’s Manyara Region. Tanzanite is extremely rare, its supply finite and it is likely to face depletion in a few years’ time. The best tanzanite grades are displayed in jewellery forms, mostly polished for the high-end market, in exclusive stores such as Tiffany & Co. The ‘Tanzanite Experience’ will collect, document, preserve, exhibit and interpret materials and information related to tanzanite. Interactive media presents the fascinating story of the rare violet-blue gemstone, from its extraction in mines to sophisticated processing, cutting and polishing. Tourists will also be able to buy souvenirs and artefacts made of tanzanite, issued with certificates authenticating colour, clarity and cut. Tanzanite One Limited, the largest miner of the rare gemstone, is also supporting the project. Tanzania T anzania, in East Africa, is a land of contrasts and majesty, Africa at its most wild and unexplored. It has a spectacular landscape of 3 main geographic regions: the islands and the coastal plains to the east; the inland saucer shaped plateau; and the highlands. The Great Rift Valley that runs from northeast Africa through central Tanzania also adds to its striking landscape. Tanzania is known for its large concentration of wild animals and has more land devoted to national parks and game reserves than any other wildlife destination in the world (25% of its land is dedicated to conservation). It is home to 8 UNESCO World Heritage sites, 14 world famous National Parks and 33 Game Reserves, including the Ngorongoro Crater, the Serengeti, Selous Game Reserve, Gombe Stream, Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Mikumi, Arusha, Ruaha, Saadani, Udzungwa mountains and Mkomazi Game Reserve, amongst others. It also boasts the pristine sandy beaches of the spice islands of Zanzibar and Africa’s highest mountain, the snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro. Kilimanjaro Marathon 2009 hoME oF ThE SAFArI Salaam. He commented that BA views Kilimanjaro as a potential landing destination thanks to its status as Tanzania’s tourism hub. “I believe there is demand in Kilimanjaro due to the tourist attractions. [BA] is looking in to the possibility of introducing flights to that destination in the near future. This will give us an opportunity to promote Tanzania’s tourism to the world”, said the CEO. Located in Tanzania’s famous northern tourism circuit, KIA is the gateway to such world acclaimed tourist attractions as the Ngorongoro Crater, the Serengeti Manyara and Kilimanjaro National Parks. Mr Walsh added that Africa now represents positive growth opportunities due to its abundant natural resources. “Most African countries are doing very well economically and our company endeavours to expand its services on this continent.” While in Dar es Salaam, Mr Walsh also inspected some of BA’s Corporate Social Responsibility projects. Dar es Salaam based Buguruni School for children with hearing impairments is one of the facilities that BA supports. The company has raised £300K per year to support a 3-year UNICEF paediatric AIDS project in Tanzania, which supports efforts to prevent mother-tochild transmission of HIV/AIDS and paediatric opportunistic illnesses. BAhas served Tanzania as a destination for the past 76 years. It currently flies directly from London Heathrow to Dar es Salaam 3 times per week. Getting there Tanzania’s principal international hub is Julius Nyerere Airport at Dar es Salaam, though there are also international flights to Kilimanjaro International Airport and Zanzibar (offered by KLM and German carrier Condor). Other European airlines serving Tanzania include: British Airways, Air France, Aeroflot, KLM and Swissair. Air Tanzania serves all internal routes and has daily flights to Zanzibar, as do many privately operated light aircraft companies. Tanzania, these races attract over 3200 runners from over 50 countries and numbers grow yearly. Known as one of the most scenic races in the world, with Kilimanjaro’s white peak looking over the participants as they run through both urban areas and rural farmland and villages, this is a must on all runners’ wish lists. The event attracts top athletes running for big prizes and a chance to prove themselves on an international stage, as well as social runners from around the world, coming to Tanzania to enjoy their sport and take in Tanzania’s top attractions. With the help of the event sponsors (who include Tanzania Breweries, Vodacom, Tanzania Tourist Board and Air Tanzania), a new category of runners will be introduced for 2009 - the Disabled Category. The race donates a large amount of money each year to Athletics Tanzania as well as local charities, schools and hospitals, amongst others. The organisers have set up travel packages for runners and safari operators to help them attract runners and tourists to this event. British Airways likely to start landing at KIA When to sell Because Tanzania lies below the equator, the coolest months occur during the northern hemisphere’s summer, however, weather remains pleasant year-round. The central plateau is arid with hot days and cool nights, while the northwestern highlands are cool and temperate. June – September is the coolest season. The ‘long rains’ occur from March – May, while the ‘short rains’ fall between October – December. The hottest months are October – February. The coastal strip and islands of Zanzibar and Mafia have a hot and humid tropical climate, tempered by sea breezes. Useful Contacts www.tanzaniatouristboard.com www.kilimanjaromarathon.com www.wildfrontiers.com The 2009 Kilimanjaro Marathon (1 March 2009) is run out of the town of Moshi, at the foot of the iconic mountain. Now in its 7th year, this professionally organised IAAF approved race consists of a full marathon, half marathon and fun run. Organised with the aim of encouraging sport and promoting tourism in 16 TRAVEL NEWS EUROPE British Airways (BA) is likely to commence direct flights to Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) as soon as it wraps up its service expansion programme for Tanzania. BA’s CEO, Willie Walsh, hinted at this prospect during an exclusive interview with The Guardian newspaper in Dar es November 2008 www.travelnewseurope.com
http://www.tanzaniatouristboard.com
http://www.kilimanjaromarathon.com
http://www.wildfrontiers.com
http://www.travelnewseurope.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Travel News Europe - #88 - November 2008
Cover&Contents
NEWS
WTM News Pages
DESTINATIONS - Tanzania
DESTINATIONS - India
BUSINESS - Winter Holidays
BUSINESS - Exhibitions
Travel News Europe - #88 - November 2008
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