Tanzania recently carried out an animal census across the country and Mr. Lazaro Nyalandu the Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, says that the results of the exercise are quite promising. The minister believes the promising numbers from the census are due in part to the anti poaching efforts that have been going on in the country for a while now.
At a flag off event for this years Internationale Tourismus-Börse Berlin (ITB) participants, the minister said that Tanzania’s anti-poaching efforts are now bearing fruit.
“When the results are announced, the numbers are very promising,” minister Nyalandu said. It is hoped that the results will be announced in a month’s time or less.
Some of the steps the Tanzania government has taken to curb poaching include; increasing the number of game rangers in the various national parks and game reserves and equipping the game rangers appropriately.
However, more effort is needed to completely get rid of poaching of wildlife in Tanzania and the rest of Africa. Interpol recently reported that Tanzania is the top source of illegal ivory in East Africa. Approximately 30 elephants are killed in Tanzania daily, amounting to more than 10,000 annual killings of elephants alone.
In their effort to end poaching, Tanzania has received support from a number of organizations and countries, one of these is the German embassy, which Minister Nyalandu went out of his way to thank and appreciate their help with Selous national park.

The minister went on to talk about the ITB and listed some of the firms that would be participating. The expo is expected to garner a lot of publicity for tourism in Tanzania and it’s East African counterparts.
The Tanzanian entourage will join participants from other East African Community members to market regional tourist attractions under the East African Expo umbrella from 4th March to 8th March, 2015.
Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) Marketing Manager Geoffrey Meena said Tanzania will use the opportunity to promote its attractions under the banner of its current campaign “Tanzania: Africa’s Best Safari Country” and “Tanzania, The land of Kilimanjaro, Zanzibar and the Serengeti”. Some of the agencies that will be participating include; Tanzania Tourist Board, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA), Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), and also the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism (ZCT). The private sector will also be represented by about 57 exhibitors including several tour and travel companies, ticketing firms, hotels and airline carriers.
Tanzania has participated in the ITB Berlin for 19 years and the results of this exposure can be felt in the increase of tourist visits in to the country especially from Germans. The fair is not only about meeting traders and selling tour packages or sharing expertise in the field but it’s also about learning new strategies and technological business trends. It is a good platform for marketing Tanzania safari holidays to receptive markets and also to sell the attractions of the country such as the Serengeti nationals park, and Mt. Kilimanjaro. Other things that will be showcased by Tanzania include traditional artifacts such as Maasai attire, beverages such as tea, coffee, beers, and arts and crafts.