Inside Tanzania’s Lucrative Safari Business
What it’s like behind the scenes of one of Tanzania’s leading tourist attractions
When considering an African Safari, Tanzania is frequently at the top of bucketlists, and for good reasons. The country boasts multiple natural parks encompassing nearly every type of ecosystem. Its vast game reserves, including the famous Serengeti National Park, boast the the “Big Five” animals — elephants, lions, leopards, buffaloes, and rhinos — in addition to hundreds of other species. And when the safari is done, there is a plethora of activities to choose from: climb Mount Kilimanjaro and take in the views from the alpine summit, relax by the beach in Zanzibar, enjoy the bustling city life of Dar es Salaam, to name a few. But what is life like for the hard workers making it all possible — park rangers, drivers, guides, translators, lodge staff, bathroom attendants, and cooks? And how does this massive influx of tourists affect the local economy and natural environment? I travelled to Tanzania seeking to answer these questions — interviewing the industry’s stakeholders with the goal of creating an unbiased, comprehensive report on the safari industry of Tanzania.
