Attitude and perception of tourists towards wildlife-based tourism in Tanzania: a case study of the northern tourist circuit

Abstract

The tourism industry has become a fast growing economic sector in Tanzania with high foreign earnings. This is a result of the vast natural resources that Tanzania is endowed with. The tourists arriving in Tanzania have different attitudes and perceptions of the destination. Understanding these attitudes and perceptions is essential to the development of the tourism industry. This study therefore, research on the attitude and perception of tourists on wildlife tourism as well as their preference on wildlife attractions. Survey questionnaires were used to collect data from 300 tourists visiting Lake Manyara National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Data was analysed using SPSS version 20. Results show that overall; tourists have a positive attitude and perception towards wildlife tourism in Tanzania. However, there are some few factors which the tourists had a negative attitude and perception with, such as overcrowding, littering, feeding of wild animals, going off-road, inadequate tourists’ facilities and infrastructures. These factors must be addressed so as to promote the vast growth of the tourism industry which has a significant contribution to the economic development of the country.