The social and economic development landscape of Tanzania tourism in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) is dramatically changing as the Maasai people living in the area have become aware of the weakening pastoral economic foundation within the region and have established the Seneto Cultural Boma in order to attract tourists from different parts of the world.
Currently, approximately 24% of all tourists who visit the Tanzania Northern circuit parks stop in Ngorongoro.
Today, the NCAA is the only conservation area in Tanzania that is allowed to legally host both wildlife and human economic activities.
However, the co-existence between these wildlife and human activities has recently become threatened, primarily because of animal diseases – such as Nangana and sleeping sickness or trypanosomiasis illness – that are being spread to humans, but also because of a lack of reliable and safe water supplies.
In order to address some of the problems in this area, the Seneto Cultural Boma was established.
The Seneto Cultural Boma is set up as a conventional cultural tourism location with cattle dips that can be used to treat livestock as well as boreholes, which can be used to supply water to both humans and cattle.
In an interview with the Guardian newspaper, William Olekonyo, chairman of the Seneto Cultural Boma, said that revenues from the project were being used by the community members in order to fund projects that had been designed to alleviate poverty, such as paying school fees.
So far, over twenty school children have benefitted from this project.
The Seneto Cultural Boma is currently looking for investor support in order to construct nursery and primary schools in the area so as to reduce or eliminate the stressful necessity of travelling long distances for the purpose of receiving proper education.
Currently, America, France, China, Canada, Germany, and a few Asian countries represent the major supply markets to this area.
According to Mr. Olekonyo, the potential for tourist traffic to this area, during the high season, could reach between 150 and 200 vehicles per day and, during the low season, about 70 to 90 vehicles per day.
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