US tour agents captivated by Serengeti’s uniqueness

Speaking to journalists yesterday at the Serengeti National Park, some of the agents expressed their admiration for the park’s beauty and pledged to encourage more tourists to visit Tanzania.

One of the agents, Ms Patricia Walker from Nexion Travel in the United States, said visiting Tanzania had been her long-time dream.

“I have always wanted to travel to Tanzania and experience its unique attractions, especially the Serengeti National Park. I’m delighted to have finally fulfilled my dream,” she said.

“After seeing what we have witnessed here, we believe we will help to increase the number of visitors through the various travel packages we offer back home,” she added.

Another agent, Ms Catherine Alexander, said they were particularly impressed by the hot air balloon safaris conducted inside the park, which offered them a chance to view different animals from the sky.

She added that beyond wildlife experiences, the group was also looking forward to exploring Tanzania’s rich cultural heritage.

“We had the opportunity to see animals and other attractions from above, which was truly a unique experience. We also plan to visit the Hadzabe, Datoga, and Maasai communities to learn about their traditional cultures,” said Ms Alexander.

For his part, Excellent Guide Tours and Safaris managing director, Mr Justin Garfield, said the agents would spend 12 days in the country visiting different attractions and learning more about Tanzania’s tourism offerings so they could better promote them globally.

“I believe that after this trip we will continue to receive even more visitors. Some of these agents have been to Tanzania before, but for many this is their first time, which will further stimulate growth in the tourism sector,” said Mr Garfield.

Senior Assistant Conservation Commissioner and Chief Park Warden for Serengeti National Park, Mr Stephano Msumi, welcomed the guests and urged them to continue serving as ambassadors of Tanzania’s tourism.

“We welcome you to Serengeti and to Tanzania as a whole. We believe you will be good ambassadors for our attractions and help the country shine even brighter on the global tourism stage,” he said.

Recently, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Dr Hassan Abbasi, said during the World Tourism Day celebrations that the government would continue collaborating with stakeholders to expand the tourism sector, which generated $3.9 billion (about Sh9 trillion) in 2024.

He noted that tourism had continued to stimulate the growth of other economic sectors, with the number of international visitors rising from 922,000 in 2021 to 2.14 million in 2024, while domestic tourists increased from 788,000 to 3.12 million over the same period.