DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA’S forest tourism is expanding, with the number of visitors to forest reserves rising from fewer than 200 in 2015 to more than 390,000 annually, according to the Tanzania Forest Services (TFS), with projects supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) contributing to the sector’s development.
The growth points to efforts to diversify the country’s tourism attractions beyond wildlife and strengthen the economic value of forest resources while supporting conservation.
Speaking during the national dialogue on the ninth replenishment cycle of the Global Environment Facility (GEF-9), TFS Conservation Officer, Mr Yusuf Tango said GEF-funded projects had helped develop forest tourism by supporting improvements in the status and management of selected forests, creating opportunities for tourism activities in natural forest reserves.
“When we started in 2015, the number of tourists visiting forest reserves was fewer than 200 per year. As you know, our country is widely recognised for wildlife tourism, but forest tourism was still a new concept,” he said.
Mr Tango said the number had since increased to more than 390,000 visitors annually, attributing the growth partly to support provided through GEF-funded projects.
He explained that the projects had helped upgrade the status of selected forests to natural forest reserves, making it possible to develop tourism activities alongside conservation.
The development offers Tanzania another avenue for attracting visitors while promoting the sustainable management and protection of forests, which are important for biodiversity and the country’s environmental well-being.
Mr Tango said TFS had benefited from GEF support since 2007, through successive funding cycles, including GEF-4, GEF-5 and GEF-6. The institution is now looking at opportunities under GEF-9 to continue strengthening conservation and expand activities in forest and bee reserves.
He said TFS’s mandate was to ensure the sustainable management and conservation of forest and bee resources, adding that further support could help the institution advance this work while developing tourism and other activities compatible with conservation objectives.
Mr Tango said TFS was seeking opportunities to work with stakeholders to identify project proposals that respond to Tanzania’s environmental priorities and fit within GEF funding objectives.
The GEF-9 national dialogue brings stakeholders together to discuss funding opportunities, draw lessons from previous projects and agree on priority areas and project concepts for Tanzania.
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The discussions come as countries seek financing to address environmental challenges, including biodiversity loss, climate change, land degradation and pollution.
For TFS, Mr Tango said, further access to GEF funding could provide an opportunity to build on previous projects, improve forest conservation and increase the contribution of forest and bee resources to Tanzania’s development.
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