Obama visit to change Dar es Salaam tourism fortunes

THE highly anticipated visit by the US President, Barrack Obama to Tanzania next July, will not only boost the country’s position in international diplomacy but also promote tourism globally.

“President Obama is the leader of the richest and most powerful nation in the world and his presence in Tanzania is bound to make a big impact globally,” stated the Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Ambassador Khamis Kagasheki and implored the local media to promote the country’s good image during the visit.

Attracting around 1.2 million tourists, who flow into the country annually, Tanzania, is home to Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro, the world’s only wildlife-filled natural caldera, the Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park the only place where the spectacular migration of 2.5 million large herbivores takes place.

According to Ambassador Kagasheki, his ministry was considering coming up with a slogan; “Obama has visited Tanzania, when are you?” which can even be expanded in future to sound like “Three American Presidents have already toured Tanzania, what about you?”

When he lands in Dar es Salaam early next July, President Obama is going to be the third US Head of State to visit Tanzania after his predecessor, the immediate former President George Bush arrived in the country in 2008, while previously President Bill Clinton toured the country at the turn of the new Millennium in 2000.

Both Bush and Clinton visited Arusha which is the pivot area in the Tanzanian tourism industry but when contacted by phone, Mr Raphael Hokororo of the Tanzania Information Service in Dar es Salaam said the US president’s official itinerary was yet to be released so it is not yet known whether Obama will also tour Arusha or the Northern Zone circuit.

‘Green with envy’ however, some neighbouring countries have tried to belittle President Obama’s visit here saying it was more of US own interest than helping the economically constrained host country.

In the year 1997, the former US Secretary of State, Mrs Hillary Clinton, came to Tanzania for the first time, then being the American First Lady and accompanied by her daughter, Ms Chelsea Clinton.

The Clintons have since been coming to Tanzania regularly even after retiring from the Oval office at the White House. Last year, the UK Queen’s son, Prince Charles visited Tanzania together with wife Camilla and during their Northern Zone’s itinerary, the couple got to mingle with people from the Maasai community here.