Elephants at the foot of Mt Kilimanjaro, a world famous tourist destination. FILE PHOTO | REUTERS
What you need to know:
Mount Kilimanjaro, a leading source of tourist revenue amounting to over $60 million per annum, has been losing huge sums of money through non-compliance with mountain climbing requirements.
Tourism minister said tour operators were using illegal routes to take visitors to the mountain peak without paying the required entry fee to Tanzania National Parks, the legal trustee of the mountain.
The Tanzanian government is going to clamp down on tour companies that evade park fees in wildlife reserves.
Mount Kilimanjaro, a leading source of tourist revenue amounting to over $60 million per annum, has been losing huge sums of money through non-compliance with mountain climbing requirements.
Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Jumanne Maghembe has warned tour companies that cheat on park fee that stern action will be taken against them.
Prof Maghembe said tour operators were using illegal routes to take visitors to the mountain peak without paying the required entry fee to Tanzania National Parks, the legal trustee of the mountain.
Each tourist climbing the mountain is required to pay $70 in park fees, for every day spent on the mountain ecosystem, and another $60 if camping.
“Some tourists enter the park and climb Mount Kilimanjaro without paying the fee, denying the government its due income,” said Prof Maghembe. “Every tourist must be registered and pay the climbing fee.”
Last year, the government introduced the single entry payment system following abuse of the double entry mode by some tour operators and visitors.
Under the double entry mode, tourists can leave the park and return within 24 hours at no extra cost. However, some operators were driving back to the parks with additional tourists without paying entry fees for them.
Park fees stands at between $30 and $100 per visitor, per day.
