What should ginger Nigeria to harness its rich landscape tourism lies elsewhere on the continent – in East and Southern Africa, particularly Tanzania and South Africa.
Tourism presents many choices in Nigeria, a country suffused with historical, natural, and architectural edifices.
Nigeria has pristine landscapes so breath taking and inspiring it is hard to believe they exist in this country.
Big, flashy wildlife in Tanzania
While the Nigerian scenery is largely unexplored, other countries are gearing up within the ambit of tourism to develop other equally lucrative areas of interest to raise export receipts. Top on this list in Africa is Tanzania.
Tanzania has some of the bigger and flashier wildlife viewing, mountain climbing, and beaches in Africa. Yet the country has just realised that its scenic aspect is overlooked by visitors.
After two years of experiment, hard work, and considerable private funding, an innovative local tour firm has unveiled a landscape tourism product.
This is “to offer holidaymakers a glimpse of the country’s unexplored scenery, a step away from the country’s mainstream game drive,” said Constantine Ngelengi Malembela, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Congema.
“Stunning landscape is a great new frontier in tourism, promising a better future to the tourists who look beyond wildlife, mountain, and beach” he explained as he flagged off the first group of 50 tourists to test the new product.
The holidaymakers, mostly from France, Switzerland, and Sweden, covered 25 kilometres a day for five days.
Talking of magnificent landscapes and scenic view, South Africa leads the rest of Africa with the most beautiful landscapes and the Table Mountain.
This unfolding story from Tanzania underscores what is possible from a very articulate and creative tourism management and individuals constantly looking for ways to improve on tourism growth.
Nigeria needs documentation, promotion
This also proves that with proper documentation and promotion, this may well be the answer to the ignorance that dogs the enormous tourism assets Nigeria presents to foreign tourists, and to create internal awareness to stimulate local tourism.
While some state governments – among them Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Delta, Lagos, and Osun – are making frantic efforts to develop one or several aspects, several other aspects are neglected.
Only a proper articulation and holistic approach can salvage the situation and lead to a great tourism experience in Nigeria.
King’ori to Kilimanjaro
Back in Tanzania, the 125km trip took the tourists through King’ori village under the splendid Mount Meru in Arusha to the legendary Momella Lake which straddles the border of the picturesque Arusha National Park.
After Momella Lake they went through Mukuru’s savannah land where, on the east side, the visitors saw the iconic Mount Kilimanjaro – the most famous mountain in Africa and the world’s tallest freestanding peak.
The heroic safari also took the tourists through the Longido wildlife management area, Lake Natron, and Olpopong’i cultural village.
“Much of this route is green and lush with vegetation and memorable landscapes,” Malembela added.
Discovery spurs excitement
The director of the group, Gerald Verde, called it a milestone to organise the trip around Mount Kilimanjaro after having done so in Kenya and Botswana.
“It is exciting to come to Tanzania. I am happy to meet such a welcoming community and country,” said Vincent Rivoire, one of the tourists.
Wildebeest Great Migration
Tanzania’s stunning wildlife, expansive volcanic crater, and intriguing islands, all make it a unique destination. Kilimanjaro adds to the allure.
The Indian Ocean laps the eastern edge between Kenya and Mozambique, and the “spice island” of Zanzibar is 22 miles off the Tanzanian mainland.
Sometimes called “Africa’s Garden of Eden”, some 25,000 large animals live in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which stretches across 3,200 square miles of the south-eastern Serengeti Plains adjacent to Serengeti National Park.
Ngorongoro Crater, 12 miles wide, is the area’s crown jewel. The largest unbroken caldera in the world, it is thought to have been formed after an active volcano collapsed centuries ago.
Over a million wildebeest pass through the area during the annual Great Migration, one of the planet’s most remarkable natural spectacles.
From December to March each year, wildebeest, zebras, and other animals gather near Lake Ndutu on the edge of the conservation area. From there they move north, eventually ending up in the Northern Serengeti and Kenya’s Maasai Mara in the winter.
Cape Town beauties
Cape Town is one of the world’s most beautiful cities, and the Kruger National Park is one of the most memorable experiences on the planet for anyone who visits.
South Africa offers an epic diversity of landscapes, from the Blyde River Canyon to the Drakensberg Mountains.
With all of that it is almost easy to forget that it is also a country full of problems, with a capital city that is best avoided.
But escape to the Cape and grab your camera to photograph all the inbetween, and savour one of the most awe-inspiring territories on the planet.
