ARTICLE :THE FOX FAMILY AND THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN RUAHA NATIONAL PARK

Christopher Foxes

By Matukio Daima media

"There were visitors who arrived at my camp from Mbeya, and it took them 10 hours to reach Ruaha National Park. No tourist enjoys sitting in a car for 10 hours," begins Christopher Fox, the son of the first investor in the tourism sector at Ruaha National Park.

Today, accessing Ruaha National Park is much easier compared to the past, thanks to significant efforts by the government under President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan. These include the construction of a 104-kilometer tarmac road from Iringa town to Msembe, making the park more accessible.

Christopher highlights that one of the park's major successes, especially the increase in the elephant population, is due to concerted efforts to eliminate poaching. He recalls that the strategies to protect elephants began in 1988 when a new park warden, Oli Mwerana, was appointed and successfully curbed poaching.

Before 1988, poaching for elephant tusks had surged, particularly between the 1970s and 1987. This rampant poaching severely affected the elephant population, necessitating urgent measures to save the animals. Today, many elephants seen in Ruaha are under 40 years old, a sign of successful anti-poaching initiatives.

Christopher further recounts that in the early years, animals in Ruaha were very skittish due to the intense hunting that took place. The animals would often hide and move restlessly, fearful of being hunted.

"I used to visit Ruaha every year as a child, and the animals were extremely fearful. They were constantly hunted, which made them very cautious," Christopher explains.

He cites an example of a hunter named Scot, who built the first hotel in Ruaha National Park in 1963. Scot used to hunt crocodiles on the river using a boat made from an aircraft piece. However, after Ruaha was declared a national park, Scot had to abandon hunting and turn to tourism.

He continued his tourism activities until the late 1960s when he was no longer able due to old age and later took his own life.

Christopher praised President Samia Suluhu Hassan for her efforts to strengthen Tanzania's tourism sector, emphasizing that significant investments in infrastructure will increase tourist numbers. He pointed out that improvements such as the standard gauge railway will make it easier for tourists to access conservation areas like Ruaha.

"Some visitors from Mbeya took 10 hours to reach Ruaha. No tourist wants to spend 10 hours in a car," Christopher said, highlighting the need for better infrastructure to reduce travel times.

He added that tourists typically should not travel for more than three and a half hours from one attraction to another, as long travel times can lead to fatigue and reduce their enthusiasm to explore more areas.

Christopher emphasized that ongoing investments in Ruaha National Park are expected to drive significant growth in Tanzania's tourism sector.

He noted that the park is now more easily accessible due to improved infrastructure, which will help attract more tourists.

He also pointed out that Tanzania’s national parks are among the country’s top tourist attractions, and the combined efforts of the government and private sector are driving significant achievements in the tourism industry.

"Given the current state of management at Ruaha National Park, we expect a significant increase in visitors due to easier access and improved infrastructure," Christopher expressed, showing optimism that with continued efforts, Tanzania will further establish itself as one of the world’s top destinations for wildlife tourism.

The success in fighting poaching and investment in tourism infrastructure presents a bright future for both Ruaha National Park and Tanzania as a whole.

Christopher noted that, through the collaboration between private investors and the Tanzanian government under the leadership of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, the tourism sector is expected to continue growing and attracting more visitors.

However, he adds, Ruaha National Park, which has now been improved and is easily accessible, will remain one of the most attractive national parks drawing visitors from all corners of the world.