Fly 540 Africa

Plains and wildebeest in Ngorongoro crater and in the conservation is a great highlight to wildlife safaris in Africa. And Serengeti National park wildlife just makes Tanzania the best Africa paradise to see wildlife. However, the Tanzania government scoffed at claims by a Kenyan minister that Tanzania has withdrawn from the East African single tourist visa arrangement.

During the special meeting with the Citizen,, a senior official at the Foreign Affairs ministry said the government was “surprised” by the recent remarks because Tanzania was “never part of the deal in the first place despite it being one of the most incredible travel destination in the region for wildlife safaris.”It is absurd to suggest that Tanzania has withdrawn from the arrangement because it has never been a part to it,” said Mr Benard Haule, the ministry’s acting director of Trade, Investment and Productive Sectors. “We have not joined the three countries (Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda) in the arrangement because we are losing nothing from not being part of it,” he said.

Remember the single tourist Visa was launched in February 2014 by the heads of state from the three countries under the Northern Corridor Infrastructure Projects. The idea was to allow tourists to move freely within Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda without applying or paying for another visa on any entry of the three countries.

But Kenya’s Tourism minister Najib Balala was recently quoted in the media as saying Tanzania had decided to withdraw from the common visa plan because it was not satisfied with the ratification process. Still  Mr Haule said Tanzania was still waiting for recommendations from a committee formed by the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat before making a decision on whether to join or not. He also added that the current single tourist visa was being issued by the three countries, which formed the so-called ‘Coalition of the willing’.

Tanzania has “no legal obligation” to join the group in issuing a common tourist visa, he noted.Mr Haule said the EAC secretariat had considered some challenges and agreed that if they were not sorted out, they would hinder the implementation of the plan. “The secretariat suggested a well-organized framework and proper infrastructure to support the common visa plan.

This is yet to be sorted out to ensure the sovereignty of member states is not compromised.”Above all he concluded that, Tanzania is not refusing to join the other East Africa Community members, but wants assurance its security will not be tackled by the decision.

When valuing great tourism and Natural resource destinations in East Africa, Tanzania ranks first so better to think of reconsidering its decision because travelers to the region usually visit Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda. This will ease travel for tourists on long wildlife safaris across the region. Many travelers to Africa visit Tanzania so if the visa is single then it will inspire them to visit multiple destinations instead of one.