The Guardian has recently reported a plan for eight villages, located around the Enduimet Game Controlled Area in the Longido District near Arusha, to build their own addition to the Tanzania tourism sector, in the form of a new state-of-the-art five-star tourist hotel.
The estimated cost of the new lodge, which will be established in the middle of the Kitendeni wildlife corridor between Kenya’s Amboseli National Park Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro National Park, is USD 832,000.
The Longido District Commissioner, James ole Millya, recently held a briefing for the country’s minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Shamsa Mwangunga, in which he said that the hotel project was currently awaiting the approval Wildlife Division before it could officially begin.
“Enduimet Wildlife Management Area (WMA), which comprises eight villages, is whetting [its] appetite to build their own ultra modern five-star tourist hotel with a distinction,” said Mr. Ole Millya.
Currently, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has already been signed between the WMA and ‘Hoopoe Adventure and Tours Ltd’, an investor that has expressed an eager interest in constructing and running the hotel together with the MWA for the joint benefit of both parties.
According to the MoU, ‘Hoopoe Adventure Tours Limited’ is planning to pay USD 251,000 into the project, with the Enduimet WMA then paying for the remaining USD 581,000 through the help of its sponsor, the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF).
“The project proposal has already been approved by Enduimet WMA, Hoopoe Adventure Tours and Longido District Authority,” Mr. Ole Millya said, “the proposal is now in the court of the Wildlife Division Director for endorsement.”
In response, Ms. Mwangunga indicated that the government was currently working to finalize the country’s wildlife policy in such a way that would require the villagers surrounding the game controlled areas to effectively manage and utilize natural resources within their vicinity.
“Once the policy is ready you will be mandated to conserve and utilize the natural resources for your own benefits through tourist hunting, photographic tourism and cultural tourism,” said Ms. Mwangunga.
In addition, she went on to request that the 23 villages near Lake Natron and Longido Game Controlled Areas immediately begin to establish WMAs as well in order to best take advantage of their existing natural resources, as the Enduimet area has done.
At the same time, her visit to the region, the minister also officially inaugurated another AWF funded project, the TSh20 million Irkaswa Dispensary, also located in the Enduimet Game Controlled Area, which is expected to provide support for nine villages in Enduimet Division, Longido District.
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