VICE President Dr Phillip Mpango has issued a stark warning that severe environmental destruction is disrupting major ecological hubs, posing a direct threat to the flourishing tourism industry.

Presiding over the handing over of the new Ngorongoro-Lengai Geopark Museum, here yesterday, he said that environmental conservation and climate change adaptation are a priority for sustaining tourism growth.

Ecological disruptions occasionally increase in wildlife incursions into farms and settlements near conservation areas, causing deaths and the destruction of crops and habitats, he said, noting that ecological damage leads to escalation of human-wildlife conflicts.

The handover follows the completion of the Ngorongoro Lengai UNESCO Global Geopark Museum project costing $9.5m (over 32bn/-), now handed to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA). It was granted global geopark status by UNESCO in 2018.

The VP urged researchers and geological experts to visit the new facility to make further evaluations of its ecological condition, as geopark has a number of attributes for intense scientific research.

Environmental threats are emerging while the tourism sector demonstrates massive growth, with 5,360,247 tourists received last year, with revenues soaring from 700m/- in 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic to 4bn/- in 2024, indicating sustainable recovery and sharp growth.

The VP noted that the facility was built with international support, with Chinese envoy Chen Mingjian describing the museum as the China-Aid Ngorongoro-Lengai Geopark Project. It was China's first cultural and tourism aid project outside the country, signed by the two nations' leaders in Beijing, she stated.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan last visited China late 2023 during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) where a series of bilateral agreements were inked, officials said.

The project enhances the conservation and management of the Ngorongoro-Lengai area, promoting geological research and serving as a pillar in the strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, the envoy explained.

"Tourism is one of the fastest-growing industries in Tanzania...in recent years, the Tanzanian government has placed high priority on tourism development,’ she said, pointing at the president’s personal involvement in these efforts.

The envoy cited efforts to promote Tanzania tourism in China, including a film titled ‘Amazing Tanzania,’ which starred famous actor Jin Dong (an ambassador for tourism and cultural promotion between the two countries) that was broadcast in China.

Dr. Pindi Chana, the Natural Resources and Tourism minister, confirmed that support on the project was received in 2018, specifically aimed at improving tourism infrastructure and constructing a modern museum.

Collaborative efforts had brought the museum project to fruition, she said, underlining that it reflects Tanzania’s commitment to conserving, preserving and developing the Ngorongoro area as a unique global heritage site.

Dr. Hassan Abbas, the permanent secretary, emphasized the geological significance of the site, asserting that the Ngorongoro/Lengai Geopark is unique in Sub-Saharan Africa for featuring an active volcano. It is the second in Africa after the M'Goun Geopark in Morocco, he affirmed.

Amos Makalla, the Arusha regional commissioner, said the installation of street lighting from Mto wa Mbu up to the Ngorongoro entrance gate had already been endorsed by the government, along with the construction of a concrete hard-layer road leading to the conservation area.

These improvements are expected to significantly enhance tourist experience and accessibility to the vital conservation area, he added.

ENDS/jz/sm