Francis Massawe: Tanzanian guide championing domestic tourism

Dar es Salaam. “When you have something good, you first share it with your family before showing it to outsiders,” explained Francis Masawe.

A young Tanzanian tour guide believes the country’s attractions should be appreciated by locals first, before placing too much emphasis on drawing foreign visitors.

Mr Massawe has made it his sole mission to promote domestic tourism, going to schools, colleges, and into communities, urging Tanzanians to get out there and see the beauty bestowed upon their motherland.

A daunting task, if you ask him; most locals are sceptical of what he is trying to accomplish. He is not alone in this; he will be joining other local tour operators in the upcoming Kilifair tourism expo that is expected to take place on June 6-8 in Arusha, Tanzania’s tourism capital.

They are hoping this will be an ample avenue to reach out to the domestic tourism market, which, according to Mr Masawe, is not fully explored.

Some participants from neighbouring countries like Uganda and Kenya will also be present.

The main purpose is to promote local tourism with an emphasis on embracing Tanzanian indigenous culture.

The Maasai, whose culture has won hearts and admiration across the globe, will also be featured and celebrated to remind Tanzanians of their awesome heritage and urge them to travel across the country and see more of it.

Furthermore, the tourism expo will be an opportunity for locals who seek to open up their tourism company toy to avail themselves of essential information on how to start a tour company and all the registration processes.

This will hopefully increase the number of local players in the tourism industry, which has proven lucrative but is in dire need of growth so that Tanzania can be one of the top contenders as the world’s top tourist destination.

Mr Masawe, who runs Bring Africa Travel, initially targeted foreign tourists like many tour companies do in their marketing initiatives, but he has since narrowed down to focus primarily on the domestic tourism market.

“We aim to bring Tanzanians to places they have never been before in their country, like on top of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru,” he said.

He aims to take students to the Kilifair expo so that they can learn about their country’s tourism, and with that knowledge, hopefully, they can teach other kids, and that is just the beginning to raise awareness of what Tanzania has, from the national parks to the big five animals that the people from across the world come to marvel at.

Mr Massawe figured that, unlike the international tourists that you have to convince to board a plane to come see the Serengeti National Park, Tanzanians are already here, so all he has to do is urge them to take a bus to see the beauty of their nation.

The middle class is blossoming; people make more money now, and the money in terms of park fees and other costs to enjoy the scenery, either in national parks or the beaches of Zanzibar, is considerably cheaper for Tanzanians.

All these he sees as incentives for domestic tourism to grow, and he is working hard to tap into that market.

Going to colleges and schools to speak to students about tourism was a sobering moment for Mr Masawe; the teachers didn’t understand why he was marketing to them and not to the Western market, saying those are the tourists, not them.

It was at that moment that he vowed he would teach fellow countrymen about tourism and why Tanzanians should go out more and see the animals they are told the country has for themselves.

Many people are born in a place where they will end up growing up in that community, studying, getting married, and dying without ever stepping foot outside that area, let alone outside of that city.

They would never let their eyes wander around or enrich their souls by watching the sunset in Serengeti or seeing the lion pride hunt, and these people could be just a few hours from these magnificent places, but they would lead a life oblivious to the beauty that surrounds them.

Francis has seen so many people in Arusha who have never been to Mount Meru or Mount Kilimanjaro, not even the base of the mountain. Similarly, some Dar residents who have never been to Saadani National Park, which is close to the metropolitan area.

He hopes the Kilifair expo will help boost domestic tourism; his main aim is to first and foremost educate the people on the importance of tourism.

A booming domestic tourism can also help the sector to be self-sufficient without heavily relying on foreign tourists to increase the revenue derived from the sector.

The false assumption about tourism being expensive has been prevalent, and only providing the right information can help change the minds of Tanzanians so that they can boldly pack their bags for a day or two adventure to any of the many national parks available across the country.

Mr Massawe advocates for group tourism, as that is the most affordable for locals to take part in; you can have a bunch of friends or family join you on that special occasion in the wild.

It would be a pleasant surprise and a deserved change of location from the usual bar and restaurant to a national park, enjoying all the fresh, unpolluted air away from the noisy city settings.

Even for the local mountaineers, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is considerably cheaper for a Tanzanian than for others.

Another hurdle Mr Massawe observed is that, unfortunately, tour companies do not like serving domestic tourists because they believe locals do not tip as much as foreigners, something that should be addressed with honesty.

Tipping is not necessarily a Tanzanian culture, whereas in some countries it is a norm, which could be the reason, but if tour companies are serious about growing domestic tourism, a solution for this should be found so that the tour operators can serve locals with smiles on their faces.

In attracting locals, the Kilifair expo aims to explore Tanzanian cultures in depth, from the cuisine and traditional dances to more. In Moshi, the local staple Machalari will be featured.

The rich stew made with green bananas or plantains, depending on preference, is mixed with beef or goat, and the Chagga dish has the potential to spice up domestic tourism if it is well promoted.

The aim is to have Tanzanians travel to experience cultures and ways of life that other Tanzanians in different regions live by. Enjoy Wahaya cuisine while you are sitting by Lake Victoria.

There is so much to share locally that can exponentially increase revenue from tourism, flourish businesses that deal with travel and hospitality at the same time, and bring more understanding and harmony among the hundreds of tribes that call Tanzania home. Francis wants to popularise the wedding culture among Tanzanian tribes; it’s an exciting tradition that he feels goes largely unnoticed.

Unlike the religious weddings held in cities, traditional weddings are vibrant, nonstop festivals, and a person outside that culture can have a jaw-dropping moment when they witness it.

That has all the markings of domestic tourism that he aims to encourage Tanzanians to explore. Each tribe has different wedding ceremonies, and one tradition can be quite different from another, and that is the beauty of Tanzanian culture.

“If Americans can travel all the way to just watch how certain people live, eat, or dance, why can’t we enjoy our own culture?” he pondered.