Serengeti General Management Plan

D. Tourism Management Programme
northern sector. In particular, non-vehicle based opportunities will be developed where visitors
can safely experience outstanding natural and cultural features. This dispersal of tourist
activities will also reduce the tourism concentrations and vehicle use in the Seronera Valley
and other high-density areas.
Within the broader ecosystem, SENAPA management will take an active role to encourage
the development of circuits that take tourists through the Park and on to areas and tourism
facilities outside the Park; provided these do not overload the existing SENAPA services and
infrastructure. Wherever possible, these circuits will promote community participation. For ‘it
is imperative for communities living within or around these [protected] areas to be fully involved
in the development and management of these attractions and in addition, to get a
share of the income generated from tourist activities within their area’ (National Tourism Policy).
Limits of acceptable use
The National Tourism Policy recognises that in order to ensure the continued satisfaction of
visitors, it is essential to ‘put into place mechanisms that will ensure tourist activities respect
the use of biodiversity and wildlife conservation’. The types and levels of appropriate recreational
use will be determined through the SENAPA Zoning Scheme (see Section B) and the
associated tourism prescriptions and limits of acceptable use. This zoning scheme will restrict
and sympathetically locate recreation activities to those directly associated with the
park’s resources and consistent with their protection. In keeping with the wilderness character
of the Park, “high profile” activities will continue to be prohibited (e.g. hang gliding or
marathon races). In addition, tourist use will be further restricted and controlled in areas encompassing
endangered, rare and threatened wildlife and habitats.
Appropriate facilities
Within SENAPA, no development can happen unless it is in accordance with the Park’s
Zonation Scheme, or fits within the overall strategy of the GMP. According to management
zones, the Tourism Programme will determine the number, type, location and size of all tourism
facilities located in the Park. The Tourism Programme will also designate stopping
places (“tourism sinks”) at points of specific interest, to reduce congestion on the roads and
to encourage the diversification of visitor use.
Outside of the Park, SENAPA will seek to influence the development of tourist facilities and
services, in order to ensure that they complement what is being developed in the Park and
so as to encourage neighbouring ecosystem partners to cooperate and integrate with the
SENAPA Management Objectives.
A learning experience for visitors
Tourism in SENAPA will offer interpretative and educational services and facilities to visitors
who wish to learn about the resources within the Park that contribute to SENAPA’s designation
as a World Heritage Site and a Man and Biosphere Reserve; and its role in national conservation
and environmental strategies. A programme of additional complementary interpretative
and public information facilities will be developed and coordinated with the Serengeti
Visitor Centre.
Partnerships and cooperation
Opportunities will be developed to improve the interactions between SENAPA management,
visitors and the tourism industry, in order to improve the service provided and the quality of
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