BabuK
JF-Expert Member
- Jul 30, 2008
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High-End tourism in Serengeti National Park will receive a welcome boost in the near future with the news that the nearby Mugumu airstrip is to be rehabilitated and reopened as an international airport.
In a statement issued yesterday the Grumeti Community and Wildlife Conservation Fund said it has agreed to earmark funding of up to 4.7bn/- ($3m) for the redevelopment of the existing airstrip facilities.
The initiative has already been given the thumbs up by the Government of Tanzania as well as TANAPA (Tanzania National Parks) and conservation bodies, the statement said.
According to the statement, the new Mugumu International Airport will not compete with the much larger Kilimanjaro and Mwanza International Airports.
It will be designed to facilitate convenient tourism access to the Western Serengeti for aircraft already used for flights into the Serengeti, the statement said.
Historically, access to the remote camps in the Serengeti has been challenging and seen as a significant deterrent to well-heeled travellers keen to experience an authentic East African safari.
Improvements to the travel infrastructure are seen as vital to the development of high yield, low impact tourism in Tanzania.
Currently, safari operators in the area utilise the Seronera airstrip situated in the heart of the Serengeti National Park, but Mugumu is located outside the park, thus providing a more sustainable eco-tourism alternative.
The investment in local infrastructure will have significant economic benefits for the impoverished communities on the western fringe of the Serengeti, creating jobs and generating revenue as a result of increased tourism activities.
Recognised as a major benefactor in the area, the Grumeti Fund has initiated various philanthropic community and conservation initiatives over the past 10 years. These include the establishment of an Environmental Education Centre; a Black rhino relocation project and an Anti-Poaching Unit, as well as a number of sustainable agricultural projects.
In addition, it provides ongoing support to small business development and schools in neighbouring areas - including the relocation and construction of the Burunga Primary School in Mugumu to pave way for the construction of the airport.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
In a statement issued yesterday the Grumeti Community and Wildlife Conservation Fund said it has agreed to earmark funding of up to 4.7bn/- ($3m) for the redevelopment of the existing airstrip facilities.
The initiative has already been given the thumbs up by the Government of Tanzania as well as TANAPA (Tanzania National Parks) and conservation bodies, the statement said.
According to the statement, the new Mugumu International Airport will not compete with the much larger Kilimanjaro and Mwanza International Airports.
It will be designed to facilitate convenient tourism access to the Western Serengeti for aircraft already used for flights into the Serengeti, the statement said.
Historically, access to the remote camps in the Serengeti has been challenging and seen as a significant deterrent to well-heeled travellers keen to experience an authentic East African safari.
Improvements to the travel infrastructure are seen as vital to the development of high yield, low impact tourism in Tanzania.
Currently, safari operators in the area utilise the Seronera airstrip situated in the heart of the Serengeti National Park, but Mugumu is located outside the park, thus providing a more sustainable eco-tourism alternative.
The investment in local infrastructure will have significant economic benefits for the impoverished communities on the western fringe of the Serengeti, creating jobs and generating revenue as a result of increased tourism activities.
Recognised as a major benefactor in the area, the Grumeti Fund has initiated various philanthropic community and conservation initiatives over the past 10 years. These include the establishment of an Environmental Education Centre; a Black rhino relocation project and an Anti-Poaching Unit, as well as a number of sustainable agricultural projects.
In addition, it provides ongoing support to small business development and schools in neighbouring areas - including the relocation and construction of the Burunga Primary School in Mugumu to pave way for the construction of the airport.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
