Issued by Richard O Rugimbana
Executive Secretary Tourism Confederation of Tanzania (TCT)
Dar Es Salaam: Tourism Confederation of Tanzania (TCT), a Tourism Private
Sector Apex body, appeals to the Government to reconsider its decision to
suspend indefinitely the two month old Anti – Poaching Campaign – Operation
Terminate (Operation Tokomeza) on grounds of human rights abuse and
violation – torture, seizure of property, killing of suspects etc and
wishes to beseech Government to continue with the operation..
It is the position of TCT that the suspension of the Operation will only
aggravate the situation by giving the poachers and their godfathers more
time to reorganize and plan for some new strategies that may have
devastating effects on the remaining elephant herds in the wilderness.
Tanzania’s tourism strength emanates from its staggering range of wildlife,
excellent species diversity, and evocative acacia and baobab studded
landscapes which makes the country one of the greatest safari destination.
The Netherlands based “safaribookings.com’s” research (2013) has concluded
that Tanzania is the best Safari Destination in Africa.
In terms of natural resources, the annual World Economic Forum
Competitiveness Study for Travel and Tourism (2011) rated Tanzania second
position in the World after Brazil. Tanzania is also regarded as the last
frontier of the worlds’ largest parks allowing free grazing of wildlife.
Allowing the continued systematic slaughter of our wildlife through
poaching, elephants in particular, will completely undermine the
competitive advantage that Tanzania has on World Tourism stage. TCT
therefore strongly urges Government to reconsider its decision to halt this
anti poaching campaign.
Already, this campaign is recording tremendous success. In the last two
months alone, it was able to recover thousands of elephant tusks (ivory),
arrested over 1400 poachers, along with hundreds of illegal firearms
including muzzle loaders and 1400 rounds of ammunitions. This is a very
positive move which both the Government and People are proud of.
TCT is definitely cognizant of the abuses that have happened in the course
of administering this campaign and in no way supports this whatsoever. TCT
therefore commends Government for forming a Probe Team to look into this
serious matter
Our recommendation however is that, in the interest of tourism, we urge
Government to continue with the Anti – Poaching operation and at the same
time also in the interest of Good Governance and upholding Human Rights
principles, Government continues with the Probe Team. Both issues can be
handled and addressed simultaneously.
TCT is an umbrella organization representing tourism private business
sector involved in travel and tourism. The organizations represented
include; Tanzania Association of Travel Agents (TASOTA), Tanzania Air
Operators Association (TAOA) Hotels Association of Tanzania (HAT)
Intra-African Travel and Tourism Association (ITTA); Tanzania Hunting
Operators Association (TAHOA); Tanzania Professional Hunters Association
(TPHA; Tanzania Tour Guides Association, (TTGA) Zanzibar Association of
Tourism Investors (ZATI); Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO);
and Tourism & Hospitality Professionals Association of Tanzania (THPAT).
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