Arusha Tanzania is by no doubt the capital safari of Tanzania and some might even say the whole of east Africa.Characterized by it's fast paced,hotels,bnb's,lodges,restaurants and tourism companies on every corner of the streets.As per our previously posts every month a we have the pleasure of highlighting what our city offers,what to expect when visiting for a safari,the challenges faced by business owners and what future investors need to know.
Power cuts are still a major problem
Like many other African cities this dwarfs businesses potential of any sector and the tourism industry is not immune to it either.Accommodations depend on electricity to provide simple basic services like elevators,air conditioning ,emergency services,security.food preparation,heating and cooling etc.Without guaranteed power the owners rely on back up generators ,solar power a necessary investment causing sky rocketing running costs to provide their services which in turn has to translate on the prices.
Language barrier
Also another clearly observed challenge compared to some other countries along the same hemisphere.Tanzania's national language being Swahili is a gift to the Tanzanian people but has also brought about some challenges as far as servicing it's international clientele which is it's bread and butter.A few hotels and accommodations have people that not only speak English but also several other languages which is excellent only problem is that's not the majority and so tourists sometimes have a hard time in getting even the minimum customer service because the people serving them don't understand what they are told.It's a learning experience indeed but the business owners are doing everything they can with what they have and i must say it's working for both the tourists and the businesses.
Internet expense and outages is still a major issue.
Embracing the twenty first century online business is on the rise on Arusha business but establishing an online presence or internet availability still costs an arm and a leg.With companies still charging per second increments to surf the web it's so hard for accommodations to sell and advertise themselves online let alone provide these services to it's clients.Most hotels in the world are able to provide this simple and basic service to their clients for free or at very affordable prices having an overall competitive advantage in quality and convenience.
Red tape across the board makes doing business in our city a hassle.
Even though Arusha gained city status most business licenses , property registration etc still have to come from Dar-es-Salaam which may take months to get processed,approved which is a problem for business funding, investing and operations due to uncertainty of these services .Not to say this is not changing but the city still has a long way to go to make business transactions smoothly so as to attract more investors and native start ups with less hassles.
We are an excellent and growing city and despite our challenges we welcome everyone to jump on the Arusha tourism band wagon and make our city great .
Brought to you in part by Tumaini Cottage Arusha tourist accommodation of choice.If you are visiting Arusha keep in mind your lodging/accommodation are in good hands.Book today at
www.tumainicottage.com also join daily conversations at
http://twitter.com/tumainicottage .
