Tanzania's Serengeti Balloon Safari named world’s best at World Travel Awards 2025

So how did Tanzania achieve this milestone?

This year, the Kingdom of Bahrain hosted the World Travel Awards, a prestigious platform where leading global travel destinations and operators compete for international recognition. Amid the ceremony, Serengeti Balloon Safaris emerged as the Best Balloon Ride Operator Worldwide 2025.

The accolade represented more than a triumph for a single company. It underscored Tanzania’s growing stature as a world-class tourism destination and reinforced the country’s reputation for delivering exceptional safari experiences.

The Arusha-based operator, whose flights drift above the vast Serengeti plains is one of the world’s most celebrated national parks and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It secured the title for the second consecutive year. Introduced in 2020, the Best Balloon Operator category had been dominated by a Dubai-based company until 2024, when the Tanzanian firm, established more than three decades ago, broke the streak and claimed the global crown. It has now successfully defended that position.

From the pre-dawn hours, long before the sun lights up the Serengeti skies, pilots, ground crew and a highly specialised safety and maintenance team are already at work. Every inch of each hot air balloon is meticulously inspected before passengers are cleared for flight.

Adhering to safety standards is a non-negotiable routine, particularly when lifting people hundreds of feet into the air. Over the years, members of royal families, presidents, celebrities and heads of state have all viewed the Serengeti’s vastness and beauty from above, aboard the distinctive green and gold Serengeti balloon.

In a growing global market, Tanzania is steadily claiming its place. Serengeti Balloon Safaris has carried more than 300,000 passengers, placing it among the world’s leading balloon companies.

Established in 1993, the World Travel Awards are widely recognised across the global travel and hospitality industry. Often described as the ‘Oscars’ of tourism, they are regarded as the ultimate industry accolade, created to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors.

Serengeti Balloon Safaris was shortlisted alongside six of the world’s finest balloon companies, including Balloon Adventures Dubai, Napa Valley Aloft, Tuscany Ballooning, Virgin Balloons, Hot Air Balloon Cappadocia and Miracle Balloon Safaris Tanzania.

“We are over the moon to have won this award again, which we consider to be the very highest accolade in our industry. It is especially meaningful that we have won this on behalf of African nations, as it reflects the hard work, dedication and passion our team brings to creating magical experiences for our guests,” said John Corse, Managing Director of Serengeti Balloon Safaris.

Reflecting on the company’s journey, founder Colin MacKinnon noted that from its early days, the company has pioneered the evolution of the balloon safari experience.

MacKinnon, a Londoner, moved to the English countryside with his wife, Sally, and in 1982 founded Cirrus, introducing balloon flying over the Suffolk plains. In 1987, a chance encounter in Zimbabwe led him to explore Tanzania, where he later met Jimmy Mkwawa and Tony Pascoe. Together, they founded Serengeti Balloon Safaris. “The sensation of floating, the wildlife you can see from the air, and the areas inaccessible by road are extraordinary,” said Tony Pascoe.

Nature in the Serengeti is unmatched. The area’s biodiversity is among the most iconic in the world.

The Great Migration, one of nature’s most dramatic spectacles, sees more than two million wildebeest, zebras and other herbivores move annually across Tanzania and Kenya.

Their perilous crossings of the Mara River, between the Serengeti and the Maasai Mara, create scenes of survival as herds evade predators such as lions on land and crocodiles in the water.

This phenomenon is widely regarded as one of the greatest on earth and is vital to sustaining the Serengeti ecosystem.

For years, Serengeti Balloon Safaris has flown guests during the migration, offering a rare aerial perspective of the immense herds, sweeping plains and the animals’ annual journey. Ballooning has since become one of the major revenue earners for Tanzania National Parks.

Within Tanzania, the company has established itself as a leading conservation partner in the parks where it operates.

Tanzania National Parks has recognised Serengeti Balloon Safaris as the Best Balloon Operator every year that awards have been issued.

The company has also taken an active role in ensuring ballooning standards are rigorously maintained, working closely with the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority on a process of continual improvement.

Aviation safety remains a cornerstone of the business, supported by a comprehensive safety management system.

To further strengthen its operations, the company invited one of the UK’s most experienced civil aviation balloon operation examiners to audit its systems.

In 2025, the examiner observed that few, if any, balloon operators worldwide possess a safety management system as sophisticated or as actively implemented as that of Serengeti Balloon Safaris.

As the company continues to grow, it has made a deliberate decision to participate actively in conservation while avoiding practices that contribute to over-tourism.

Client numbers are carefully managed to ensure that operations do not place undue pressure on the environment.

“Our legacy carries a duty to protect the Serengeti for future generations,” said sustainability manager Roy Mshoboki. “In fifty years’ time, the Serengeti should still be as it is today,” he added.

Balloon flying demands precise judgement of speed, time and distance, skills that require extensive training and experience.

To meet these demands, Serengeti Balloon Safaris has sourced pilots from around the world, building a diverse team from Canada, the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, Europe and Tanzania.

In 2001, Tanzania’s Mohammed Masood became the country’s first commercial balloon pilot.

He rose from working as a temporary balloon crew member, trained overseas to earn his commercial licence, and has now flown with the company for more than two decades.

Since then, additional Tanzanian pilots trained in Europe and the United States have joined the team.

The company’s Director of Operations, Captain Abeid Soka, is also entrusted by the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority as a flight testing examiner.

Covering more than 14,750 square kilometres, Serengeti National Park presents both opportunity and complexity.

Identifying the most reliable flight routes has been essential to delivering unforgettable experiences, combining game viewing, sunrise and sunset vistas, and exposure to the park’s renowned biodiversity.

The landscape varies from the open plains of the south to the gallery forests of the west and the hilly woodlands of the north, creating a park rich in both birdlife and wildlife.

A single day in the Serengeti can be as varied as its terrain, with constant surprises.

Many crew members have worked in the park for decades and have encountered every imaginable weather condition and flight scenario.

Their experience enables them to adapt to each situation and ensure that every journey remains as magical as possible for guests. “We all understand the responsibility of delivering a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said John Corse. “We have to get it right every time.”