Local Tour Oparetors Complains on KPAP

Ndagullachrles · 2024-08-14T16:30:01+00:00

Local tour operators’ complains: Tour operators in Kilimanjaro region, have asked the relevant authorities in the government to conduct an investigation and make an official statement on the claims of the existence of an institution that is running the campaign to defame the local tour operators in front of their (local tour operators) in Europe. According to the information provided by the leadership of the agent KIATO, the institution claimed institution named the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP), started a procedure to list the names of agents that it claims are working under the umbrella of KPAP, whereby KPAP leaders have directed tourism agents based in Europe and the United States to make sure their clients are served by local tour operators who are registered and listed by KPAP only. "In addition to KPAP publishing the list on its website and insisting that foreign tourism agents’ clients should be served by Tanzania tour operators who are registered by KPAP alone, KPAP management is also using its website to spread dirty propaganda which damages the entire reputation and image of Tanzanian tourism tour operators who are not registered by KPAP”, says part of the KIATO’s statement. An investigation conducted by a team of investigative journalists has revealed that KIPAP has registered 160 tour operating companies of which 60 of the companies are local tour operating companies. The decision by KPAP has prompted local tour operators and the leaders of the local porters associations to question which law or regulation that gave KIPAP mandate to form a list of local tour operators who will serve tourists from abroad under the directives of KIPAP. “We urge the government to conduct investigations concerning the issue and also as to why KPAP has abandoned its main objective of serving porters and their basic rights and engage in the work of been the agents of foreign tour agents when it comes o serve tourists”, says the KIATO statement. According to the KIATO statement, tour operators are now engaged in extra campaigns aimed at convincing tour agents from abroad to make ends meet and this is because when they ask for clients from the foreign agents, they are asked if they work under KPAP if they (local tour operators) say they are not under KPAP they won’t get tourists from abroad to serve, something which they say affects the well-beings of their companies and the future of Tanzanian tourism sector in general. The institution is alleged to have published false information on its website that the local tour operators who are not in the list of KPAP are not faithful and that they don’t pay wages to their (local operators) a move which KIATO says it puts the works of local tour operators in a bad position while they pay all taxes. "May I take this opportunity to ask the relevant authorities in the government to ask KPAP to stop tarnishing the good image of the local tour operators because KPAP has no authority to choose for local operators a foreign tour operator to work with”, says Gasper Meela, one of the tourism operators based in Kilimanjaro region. "Our Honorable President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan has worked very hard to ensure that she promotes and improve the Tanzania tourism sector through the Royal Tour Tanzania film; this gave us confidence Tanzania tourism stakeholders and embarked on efforts to develop the tourism sector; it is so sad that to the contrast someone appears from nowhere and start defaming us in Europe for reasons known to themselves, this should not be accepted”, says one local tour agent who preferred anonymity. Commenting on the issue, the Tanzania Porters Association (TPO) Secretary Loishiye Mollel says that, KIPAP’s actions are illegal because the tourism business is the right of every Tanzanian to conduct so longer they fulfill the conditions needed to conduct the business including having the needed tour operating licenses. "If KPAP will be left to decide for local operators on how to work and who to work with, this will destroy the local tourism business and this is because local operators will be depending on one person or institution to operate”, said the official. "KPAP cannot stand up and say that it only helps the porters while it is considered as a project, there is no project that has registered members, what is happening here is dangerous for the Tanzanian tourism sector”, said the official. The secretary warned that if the quick actions are no taken by the relevant authorities including the ministry for natural resources and tourism, the issue of KPAP will damage the country’s tourism sector”, said Mollel. "KPAP is not the custodian of the tourism sector in the country, then why should KPAP engage on the project of providing permission for local tour operators to work with the foreign tourism agents? Who are they? This is issue should be stopped immediately", he added. Mr. Edson Matauna (Mpemba) is the chairman of the Tanzania Porters Association (TPO), who says that until now the association (TPO) has 16,000 active members who pay fees and their responsibilities include that of ensuring that, their interests are protected including salaries and allowances that are provided by foreigners. According to Mpemba, TPO is a union of various porters' associations, which were united as advised by the government. Speaking to journalists, the Director of Tourism, in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Theresa Mugobi, asked for more information concerning the issue so that the ministry could work on it. For his part, KPAP Manager Kelvin Salla claimed that the companies complaining about the program are those that do not give good wages to the porters and mountain climbing gears that are needed to serve tourists something that prompted the institution (KPAP) to warn foreign tour operators to work with local operators who can provide good services to tourists. However, he didn’t want to discuss on the allegations related to KIPAP asking foreign tourism agents not to work with local operators who are not listed by KIPAP on its website. Ends

Thread starter Ndagullachrles
Start date Aug 14, 2024
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Ndagullachrles

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Aug 14, 2024

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Local Tour Oparetors Complains on KPAP

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