The Tanzania government have given Maasai communities living inside Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) until the end of this year to vacate the premises, reports Apolinari Tairo of eTN.

Often called the “Last Garden of Eden,” the NCA is located in Tanzania’s tourist circuit and is a World Heritage Site. The nomads moved there, looking for greener pastures for their cattle.

Increasing human activities in the area have worried wildlife conservationists. Approximately 60,000 people, primarily Maasai, are currently living in NCA, disrupting both tourism and conservation efforts.

For more information about the NCA, the Maasai and this long-time cultural issue, visit these resources:

Ngorongoro Conservation Area
www.ngorongoro-crater-africa.org

Maasai Wildlife Conservation and Human Need
www.ogiek.org/faq/article-ndasoki-mas.htm

Legitimizing Dispossession: The Tanzanian High Court’s Decision on the Eviction of Maasai Pastoralists from Mkomazi Game Reserve
www.cs.org/publications/csq/csq-article.cfm?id=503

The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) offers a unique travel service with its Expeditions Travel Program. Each trip selected emphasizes the unique wildlife of the area, and all tours include a strong educational component.

Two of their upcoming trips will be to East African countries.

September 11, 2006 - September 23, 2006
Tanzania Adventure Safari
Rate: $4,990 per person including airfare from New York
This safari is designed for travelers seeking something more intimate, more organic, more unique from a trip. It includes several nights of real camping

March 9, 2007 - March 20, 2007
Journey of Discovery to Kenya
Rate: $3,295 per person
Ten days of exploration with naturalists and native guides.

Most tours for 2006 sold out, and the 2007 Expeditions are expected to do the same, so check on these soon, if you’re interested in participating.

NWF promises an intimate and secure expedition, as the groups are kept small — most tours are limited to 15-20 participants in order to maximize wildlife-viewing opportunities. “Travelers share their adventures with like-minded travelers who are sensitive to the fragile environments visited,” NWF said in a press release.

For more information on NWF Expeditions, including the itinerary for each trip, visit the NWF web site at www.nwf.org/expeditions or call 1-800-606-9563.

The East African Community (EAC) has a new strategic plan to promote tourism in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Part of the initiative is a common visa for tourists that would be honored in all three countries.

The plan hasn’t been approved yet, but many hope it will be by November, in time for the World Travel Fair in London, as well as the Berlin Fair later in the year. The benefits of such a program include:

• It supports the spirit of the common East Africa customs union, launched last year, as well as the proposed common market between the three countries by 2010.
• It would allow tour operators to develop packages that visit all three countries more easily.

A single entity, the East African Tourism and Wildlife Conservation Agency (EATWCA) will be in charge of the tourism and conservation sector of the EAC.

The EAC, which depends on wildlife-based tourism, has a lot to offer eco-minded tourists, and packaged as a single destination could offer tourists a broader experience. Tourists looking to see wildlife make up more than 75 percent of the tourists to the region. In addition, Kenya has been ranked among the world’s top eco-tourism destinations, with Tanzania and Egypt coming in second for popularity in eco-tourism. On top of that, National Geographic Magazine named Serengeti, the largest national park in Tanzania, one of the 50 must-go-to-in-lifetime places in the world.