Tanzania seeks moral high ground over tourism spat with Kenya

TANZANIA PONDERS NEXT STEPS AFTER TOURISM SPAT WITH KENYA

(Posted 12th February 2015)

News coming from Dar es Salaam over the recent tourism spat with neighbours Kenya and the subsequent row on Twitter between the two ministers overseeing tourism indicates that the Tanzanian government has elevated the matter to higher levels, seeking a broader solution to the current problems.

Sources usually in the know suggested to this correspondent that a new meeting date had been set by Tanzania for the 31st of March, but this could not be verified at the late hour yesterday through contacts in Kenya, if such a proposal had in fact been received and accepted. Neither could it be confirmed when or if official communication about the proposed postponement of the Arusha talks initially scheduled for the 05th February had been sent to the Kenyan tourism ministry and when or if it was received in Nairobi.

Should it turn out that the date set for bilateral talks on the 1985 accord be correct it would still be almost two months after the initially agreed date of 05th of February, which Tanzania’s tourism minister then postponed by ‘a few weeks’ to allow for further consultations with the private sector and other stakeholders.

Tanzania’s East African Cooperation minister Harrison Mwakyembe is dealing with his Kenyan counterpart Phyllis Kandie, who so happens to also hold the tourism portfolio in Kenya – in what looks increasingly like a rather strange bundling of duties – has reportedly expressed regret over the turn of events but apparently accepted the Kenyan decision though with a twist in the tail.

Tanzanian officials and tour companies have meanwhile started to send out information to foreign tour operators forewarning them of the problems encountered by clients when flying into Nairobi, and from what has been gathered do they leave no doubt who is to blame in this game of tit for tat.

‘I have tried to get hold of one of those emails or letters but failed so far. For sure, if the Tanzanians are blaming Kenya for the logistical nightmare now in place for travelers destined for the Namanga border after landing in Nairobi, it will do no one any good. We are made to look bad and it is infact the clients which are suffering the additional change of vehicles outside the airport perimeter. I can already see how this will play out next month at ITB Berlin. It might be a very hostile atmosphere between the two stands and delegations. Last year the Tanzanians put up what we called the Berlin Wall to obscure our stand. With this added problem I wonder what we are in for?‘ asked a regular source from Nairobi.

In contrast did an Arusha based operator, affected by the new rules, write in: ‘Kenya’s tourism is going through issues for the past year and a half if not longer. What do they think to gain by turning their safari vehicles into taxis to ferry our clients from the airport terminal to an exchange point outside the airport and vice versa. Do they hope they will find financial rescue from this little extra business? They should look at the damage to their own reputation. Feedback from our overseas agents is very one sided. They sided with us and feel that for using JKIA to arrive in East Africa and including a Tanzania portion in their safari, they are now punished. Kenyan companies should remember that most of those safaris also cover a Kenya portion. They might have triggered a trend that instead of leaving the Kenya portion in the itinerary our agents are now looking for longer Tanzania safaris and include other parks. Right now these trips normally visit Manyara, Ngorongoro and Serengeti. It is easy to add for instance Tarangire and even a trip to the Selous. If our clients use an airline which comes to Kilimanjaro and Dar, this is quite possible. I am just saying that this move by Kandie could backfire badly’.

Added information received from sources in Tanzania also suggests that access for Kenyan vehicles to Kilimanjaro International Airport remains open, which if correct would indicate that Tanzania has chosen the moral high ground and not adding another tit for tat reaction into the fray.

Be sure to watch this space how this saga continues to play out, ahead and during ITB and what will be on the agenda when the long awaited bilateral meeting will finally take place.