Are sustainable tourism policies and strategies working in Tanzania?

Abstract

This article briefly explores the development of tourism in Tanzania and then focuses primarily on relevant tourism policies adopted by the Tanzanian Government in order to grow the industry in a sustainable manner. Although these policies have been effective for a decade since their introduction, indications are that they are now falling short of expectations. A bureaucratic style of government as well as the apparent incompatibility of sustainable tourism policies and subsistence farming on communal-land, count among the main reasons for the possible collapse of the policies. With the main emphasis on economic gains, both environmental sustainability and socio cultural aspects have been assigned a much lower priority. The article explores the main problem areas that have emerged in recent years, and briefly looks at similar policies in other African countries for possible solutions.

Keywords: Tourism policies, tourism industry, tourism development.