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Tanzania Opening Up Tourism Despite Pandemic

Charles Kombe

   MOROGORO, TANZANIA - Tanzania's move to reopen the country to tourism
   has been welcomed by many in the industry. However, some tour operators
   worry that the government's lack of candor on the extent of COVID-19
   infections will keep foreign tourists away.

   International flights and parks were closed in March because of the
   coronavirus pandemic, bringing foreign tourism to a halt.

   Tanzania's Mikumi National Park -- which attracted around 50,000
   tourists last year, about 40 percent of them foreigners -- is seeing
   visitors slowly return after the government in May allowed flights and
   tourism to resume. Howver, most of those visitors are locals.

   "We come to Mikumi to ... refresh from the quarantine," said Yaasir
   El-Haaq, a Tanzanian tourist. "Just to have a bit of fresh air so we
   come here for a weekend."

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