Kusini Kwetu

By Vincent Mpepo, Karatu

The government has pledged continued collaboration with both local and international institutions to improve the environment for tourism activities, aiming to increase the number of visitors—particularly through the introduction of new tourism products and attractions.

This was stated by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Dr. Hassan Abbasi, while opening a three-day training on astrotourism yesterday in Karatu, Arusha Region. He emphasized that the Sixth Phase Government is committed to advancing the tourism sector for the benefit of the nation.

Dr. Abbasi commended the partnership between the Open University of Tanzania (OUT) and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA), along with foreign institutions, which led to the development of this training initiative. The program focuses on a new tourism product and aims to diversify and increase the country’s tourist attractions through astrotourism.

Speaking on behalf of the Vice Chancellor of the Open University of Tanzania, the Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic, Research and Consultancy, Professor Saganga Kapaya, said the university recognizes the value of the tourism sector and sees it as an opportunity to collaborate with other institutions to enhance its impact.

“We acknowledge that astrotourism is a new area and a unique attraction for tourism in the country, thus positioning Tanzania well on the global map,” said Professor Kapaya.

He noted that OUT’s participation is crucial in generating new knowledge, stimulating research, and providing expert consultancy in the field of astrotourism.

Presenting a lecture during the training, Senior Lecturer of Tourism and Hospitality from the Open University of Tanzania, Ladislaus Batinoluho, stated that the time is ripe for Tanzania to enter the global market with this new product—astrotourism—which is nature-based and requires no infrastructural development.

On his part, Professor John Hearnshaw from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand discussed the content of the training, explaining that it would cover both theory and practical components.

“Over the three days, participants would gain a comprehensive understanding of various concepts in astronomy and, more specifically, astrotourism”, noted Professor Hearnshaw.

The training, organized by the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) in collaboration with the Open University of Tanzania (OUT), is being conducted by experts from institutions including Astrotourism Aotearoa (AAA) of New Zealand, the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) of Harvard University, and the international organization Dark Sky International, headquartered in Arizona, USA.