Visitors and exhibitors at last year’s Karibu-Kili Fair held at the Magereza Grounds in
Arusha. (File photo)
By Nicodemus Ikonko
Started eleven years ago as modest tourism show, Arusha’s International Karibu-Kili Fair has arguably grown into Tanzania’s second biggest trade expo after the decades-old and state sponsored Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF) held annually from end of June to early July.
On the other hand, Karibu-Kili Fair is East Africa’s undisputed biggest tourism exhibition, a befitting accolade for Tanzania, which tourists and stakeholders alike agree, has no rival in the safari category of global tourism.
“We shall bring together about 800 stakeholders and over 500 tourism companies from 40 countries to promote and showcase their businesses,” said Mr Dominic Shoo, Director of the Karibu-Kili Fair (KKF). The show shall last three days, beginning next week. It is jointly organised with the Tanzania Tour Operators Association (TATO).
“We are working closely with Karibu-Kili Fair management to ensure that we appropriately project the country’s tourism potential and attractions,” said TATO’s Executive Director, Mr Elirehema Maturo.
Mr Shoo said the participants shall come from the United States, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, India, Poland, China, The Netherlands and Spain. Tanzania receives the bulk of its tourists from those countries, including the steadily growing new markets of China and India.
KKF Co-Director Tom Kunkler, noted that this year’s edition places special emphasis on sustainability and environmental conservation through a programme that encourages the use of wooden materials, reusable water gourds, waste separation and designated recycling zones for plastic bottles.
CRDB Bank Northern Zone Business Manager, Mr Emmanuel Kifui, said the bank’s sponsorship of the fair demonstrates its commitment to supporting tourism as a key pillar of the economy. “We are prepared to offer a variety of tailored financial products to tourism stakeholders, including investment loans of up to Sh 500 million, as well as international banking services such as foreign currency accounts, bookings and payments,” he disclosed.
The fair is expected to offer a vibrant fete atmosphere filled with traditional performances and sumptuous culinary delights that celebrate Tanzania’s rich cultural heritage and unrivaled population and diversity of wildlife, in a world where natural animal habitats are shrinking or seriously strained.
