NO CABLE CARS ON MOUNT KILIMANJARO
Stakeholders of the tourism industry gathered in Moshi, Kilimanjaro region on 8th March 2022, to implement the directive of Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Dr. Damas Ndumbaro, to deliberate and vote for or against the proposed Cable Car on Mount Kilimanjaro.
There were eleven Member-based Organizations whose members attended and voted against the proposed project, including the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO), Tanzania Tour Guides Association (TTGA), Tanzania Porters’ Organisation (TPO), Tanzania Local Tour Operators (TLTO), and the Mount Kilimanjaro Porters Society (MKPS).
The participants have explicitly expressed their reservations on the planned project on Mount Kilimanjaro on grounds that it is a sacred place and concerned over conservation, employment for the local population, and economic context.
After the discussion, the floor was opened for a vote where a total of 558 participants, mainly tour operators, porters, tour guides, were overwhelmingly voted against the cable car project on Mount Kilimanjaro.
“Our stance is clearly “NO” to this particular project for conservation grounds on our sacred nation icon, employment for our people, and the business context,” said TATO Chairman, Mr. Wilbard Chambulo.
Mr. Chambulo argued that the plan of the cable car project doesn’t make business sense for the country’s economy; its imminent ecological damage outweighs the expected benefits and it will not even create substantial employment for the local folks.
Mr. Chambulo said that more importantly, Mount Kilimanjaro is our own sacred Icon as a Country, we cannot afford to let anybody with money do anything on our divine mountain, and it shouldn’t happen in our lifetime.
TATO Chairman thanked all the participants for the overwhelming turnout, saying that should be the spirit to deal with issues on tourism and national interest at large.
The participants also supported the recent Prime Minister’s Kassim Majaliwa statement that the campaigners of the cable car are facing a daunting task to convince the government on the project.
With regard to the Tanzania National Parks statement that the project is still on a conceptual stage, TATO disagrees with the statement because there are several documents and records that show the project is at the highest stage pending NEMC approval.
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