Safari News | July 24, 2025 Great news for Tanzania’s tourism industry! The Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO) has secured an exemption from the Bank of Tanzania, allowing safari operators to continue accepting payments in US dollars. Announced on July 8, 2025, by Deputy Governor Yamungu Kayandabila, this exemption reverses earlier restrictions under the Foreign Exchange Use Regulations, providing significant relief for tour operators and the tourism sector, which powers over 17% of Tanzania’s GDP and employs more than 1.5 million people. Recently Tanzania’s Tourism foreign exchange earnings surpassed Gold export. Background on the Currency Regulations In early 2025,
Marriott International is set to launch a new tented camp at one of the most iconic wildlife areas in Africa; the Serengeti National Park. Marriott International, a well reputed hospitality company has named the property; Mapito Safari Camp. The name mapito is a swahili word that is explains the great location of the luxury safari camo, which is located in the main route that is followed by the Wildebeests herds during the great migration. More than a million wildebeests accompanied of hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles pass through the compound of the camp every year on their way
Direct Flights from the US by Kenya Airways to Start Soon (2017 Article – Current Status Update 2025) The Original 2017 Announcement In 2017, Kenya Airways announced plans to launch non-stop flights from New York (JFK) to Nairobi (NBO) starting October 2018 – the first direct US–East Africa route by an African carrier. This was big news for Tanzania-bound travellers, as most would connect seamlessly from Nairobi to Kilimanjaro (JRO) or Arusha (ARK) on Kenya Airways or partner Precision Air flights. The promise: shorter travel times, no European layovers, and easier access to both Kenya and Tanzania safaris. What Actually