Income derived from safari camps and lodges built along the boundaries of the Serengeti National Park and the Grumeti sector have boosted the income of the district from a mere 15 million Tanzania shillings some 6 years ago to over 200 million Tanzania shillings, it was reported in the media there. The demand for tourism-styled accommodation has risen over the past years, and in spite of the setback in 2008/9 due to the global economic and financial crisis, tourism in Tanzania is expected to make a full recovery in 2010, making up for the loss of arrivals over the past one-and-a-half years.
Accommodation on the periphery of the park is now seemingly the only option for new investors, after TANAPA has placed a moratorium on the building of new lodges inside the Serengeti National Park, where last year the Kempinski owned and managed Kilima Lodge will have been the last for some time to come. It is understood from sources close to TANAPA that temporary tented safari camps may still be sanctioned at some spots on a seasonal basis.
The added benefit is employment opportunities as camp staff or as guides at the recently-built camps and lodges outside the park, which reportedly has assisted in reducing poaching, now that paying jobs in tourism have brought some financial security and cash-flow to the neighboring communities.
