Serengeti General Management Plan

Serengeti National Park General Management Plan
the visitor experience. In accordance with the National Tourism Policy, the private sector will
take responsibility for developing tourism, while TANAPA will provide a catalytic role to regulate,
promote and facilitate this development. In this respect, SENAPA management will develop
public-private partnerships to encourage tourism professionals to invest and operate
suitable tourism products within SENAPA; and where appropriate, will play an advisory role
for transparent negotiations between private-community tourism ventures bordering the Park.
These guiding principles of the SENAPA tourism strategy provide the basis for the objectives
of the Tourism Programme that define the future desirable state at SENAPA and address
the relevant problems and issues facing the SENAPA management. The four objectives
are:
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1. Visitor access and use developed and enhanced in environmentally appropriate
and sustainable ways
2. SENAPA visitor facilities improved in order to provide an optimal tourism experience
with minimal environmental impact
3. SENAPA interpretive centres and materials are high quality, relevant, informative
and educational
4. Tourism management improved in collaboration with tourism industry partners
In order to meet these objectives for the Tourism Programme, a series of 10-year management
targets, with accompanying management actions, have been formulated, as described
in the following sections. For each management target there is a brief description of
the relevant management issues and opportunities, which provide the specific context and
justification for the management actions. Table G.3 in Section G contains the 3-Year Action
Plan for the Tourism Programme for the period 2006-2008, which lists the activities, responsibilities,
timeframe and input requirements necessary for the completion of the management
actions.
Figure D.1 over page shows the logical framework for the Tourism Management Programme.
Objective 1: Visitor access and use developed and enhanced
in environmentally appropriate and sustainable ways
The desired future state of SENAPA is one where visitors can enjoy the wilderness character
of the Serengeti and have the opportunity to observe the full diversity of wildlife in its natural
habitats. The two complementary management targets to achieve this desired state are firstly
to minimise visitor impact and secondly to diversify activities, as described below.
Target 1.1: Disturbance of key habitats, wildlife populations and
other exceptional resources minimised
Vehicles are the primary cause of disturbance to sensitive habitats and wildlife in SENAPA.
This mainly impacts on the High Use Zone (see SENAPA Zoning Scheme in Section B
above) including Seronera (Maasai Kopjes, Sixteen, Vidimbwini), Simba, Gol, Ndutu and
Naabi areas, with the problem most serious in the Seronera Valley where vehicle disturbance
occurs year-round. However, during migration periods, disturbance can also be acute in areas
such as the Gol/Moru Kopjes. Events occur almost daily, and more than 10 cars can be
crowded around animals, such as lions, leopard, cheetahs, etc. Radio communication between
cars has aggravated the problem and also undermines park patrols, as drivers inform
each other where the patrol vehicles are. Thus it is very difficult to catch drivers breaking
rules.