Tanzania in Africa is one of the most beautiful destinations of the country, and is known to attract tourists from each and every part of the globe. The country of Tanzania lies to the extreme south of a country and is characterized by wild, vivid and exotic flora and fauna. The wildlife in Tanzania as well as its local culture captures the attention of tourists easily (Schmidt and Pikirayi 2016). This essay critically reviews an article on cultural tourism in Tanzania by Audax Mabulla, entitled, “Strategy for Cultural Heritage Management in Africa: A Case Study”. The purpose of this review is to highlight the importance of cultural heritage management and the effective ways by which it can be implemented.
The abstract of the article outlines the theme of the article, which is, that Africa’s past heritage is economically sustainable in character and that it can be used for long term economic productivity. In the view of the author, only through the adequate management of cultural heritage can Africa as a continent establish its prominence in domains such as global tourism, global research and global education. While the abstract does a good job of mentioning in brief what the article is all about, it is not too well written and is certainly lacking in terms of the lucidity of style and language. The sentences used to convey the arguments of the author are abrupt and short, making for difficult reading. The abstract gives readers a decent synopsis of what is about to follow in the article, but does not outline in brief, the main points to be discussed, which for all good purposes, an abstract should do. Hence the article abstract can be said to be a bit abstract and vague. It does give readers a sense of what is to come, but a lot could have been elaborated upon.
The article is one that is neatly divided into different sections. The author first gives readers an elaborate introduction to go through, that gives readers an idea of the importance and the necessity of cultural heritage management. Readers are made to understand how cultural heritage is something that forms a crucial part of a dynamic ecosystem and that culture is to be preserved and studied, if the essence and character of a country is to be well understood (Rogerson and Van der Mewe 2016). Following this detailed and elaborate introduction, the author goes onto discuss the potential in Tanzania for the development of cultural tourism. This the author does with special reference to a number of popular destinations within Tanzania such as Olduvai Gorge, Laetoli, Isimila, Engaruka Basin and Lake Natron, Serengeti National Park, Eyasi Basin, Central Tanzania and the Coast of Tanzania. The author talks about not only the preservation of flora and fauna in each and every one of these areas but also the preservation of architectural sites and buildings that are reminiscent of Africa’s colonial and pre-colonial past. Indeed the Tanzania Coast is a place that is characterized by an abundance of buildings that feature a colonial architectural style and which give visitors a faint idea of what life was like in this part of Africa when the colonizers invaded and established their rule. The preservation of buildings in itself is quite a mammoth task, and there are multiple procedures and techniques in addition to a ton of money that goes into making sure that heritage buildings are well preserved (Akagawa and Smith 2018). Audax Mabulla does a good job does a good job of mentioning why heritage and conservation is needed to protect the architectural sites in Tanzania, given how culturally rich these places are, and how important these structures are for understanding the history and culture of any country as a whole (Ekern et al. 2016).
After discussing the numerous ways and means by which architectural sites, local customs and flora and fauna can be preserved in various parts of Tanzania, the author outlines a number of strategies that can be implemented in order to develop cultural tourism in Tanzania. First and foremost, the author talks about the necessity for planning and management if cultural tourism is to be developed in Tanzania. Not only do the heritage sites and locations have to be managed and cared for in a way that no harm comes to them, it is also important to ensure that these are exhibited in a way that they provide customers with the satisfaction they demand (Ndoro et al. 2017).It is carefully planning and management that in the view of the author can go a long way in helping Tanzania to management ad execute cultural tourism and heritage management in the best possible way. Specifically, what the author points to the necessity of, is the identification of heritage and cultural products that are easily marketable, followed by the preservation and management of these products. Protection, preservation, conservation as well as curation are the four different ways by which cultural and heritage management can be carried out (Dinnie 2015). Once marketable products have been situated, be it relics, souvenirs, carpets and furnishings or tourist sites, these have to be properly managed by guarding them from abuse or destruction, preserving them (Mortara et al. 2014). This is necessary so that these have a long life and can entertain tourists for years to come, conserved so that the good shelf life of the marketable products is easily retained and curated adequately, so that tourists get to choose from only the best of the cultural products and artifacts that are unique to the country (Guzman et al. 2017). . Curation is something that has a particularly important role to play in the view of the author, largely because of the fact that it is responsible for showcasing only those marketable products before consumers that are aesthetically pleasing in quality, and which cater easily to people who have the most refined tastes and preferences (Mabullah 2000).
It is fair to say that Audax Mabullah does quite a stellar job of pointing out the need for developing infrastructure and enhancing local tourist attractions for the purpose of improving and carrying out cultural heritage management in Tanzania. The author very wisely states that an adequate number of tourist lodges, guest houses and other forms of accommodation need to be developed if tourists are to find comfort and safety when vacationing in Tanzania (Mabullah 2000). Tourists need to be given security and stability upon their arrival in the course of their stay here so that they feel happy and safe and comfortable when touring the different parts of the country and find every incentive to pay another visit soon (Graham et al. 2016). If there are not enough guest houses and lodges for tourists to put up at, then it will be difficult for them to come and explore T in the a country in the first place (Raj and Griffin 2015). A number of tourist attractions that Tanzania is famous for, also need to be well highlighted and developed over the long term, as very aptly pointed out by Audax Mabullah. For instance, boating cruises along the coast of Tanzania ought to be promoted as these can serve as a source of great entertainment for tourists. The conventional boating cruises take place for an hour or two and give tourists an amazing view of the Tanzania coast. Safari tours can also be organized in order to promote and develop cultural tourism in Tanzania as argued by the author, which is a moot point, given how safaris end up giving tourists a breathtaking view of the African landscape while exposing them to the amazing wildlife that this continent is so famous for (Mabullah 2000).
The author points to the importance of forming partnerships with local communities in order to promote cultural tourism in Tanzania. For instance, the author suggests that tourists can be made to come and visit the country at a time when local festivals are being celebrated, when local traditional customs are being practiced on a wide scale, and at a time when people can get an up close and personal view of what local culture in Tanzania is all about. The author also rightfully suggests that local enterprises and businesses can be made to sell food and local products to tourists when they come down to see such local festivals taking place, for themselves. This is something that in the view of the author will give the local economy of Tanzania a significant boost, earning plenty of revenue for the country and making it one of the most popular places for tourists to visit in Africa (Mabullah 2000).
There are a number of other useful and effective strategies that are suggested by Audax Mabullah for developing and promoting cultural heritage and tourism in Tanzania. The author calls for the development of model villages, where tourists can get a view of what Swahili language and culture is all about. The model villages can capture how locals go about leading their day to day lives, show tourists how fishing techniques are deployed to acquire to the catch of the day, and what the general feeling of living in a village in Tanzania is all about. The author goes into detail as well about how the needs and requirements of the internal and external tourism market in Tanzania can be met. The internet marketing needs can be met by making locals away of how culturally rich and diverse Tanzania, how there are so many cultural resources like architectural sites, local language and tribal culture that can be exploited in order to get tourists to visit this part of the world on a regular basis. Seminars and tourism workshops for instance need to be organized for such locals in order to get to locals to participate more frequently and whole heartedly in cultural heritage management activities (Boonzaier and Wels 2018). At the same time, the author very rightfully states that the needs and demands of the external market in Tanzania can be met by advertising about the rich cultural heritage as much as possible. To this end, the author very correctly argues that all sorts of visual and print media need to be exploited such as the radio, television, newspapers, magazines and of course social media platforms., the latter being known to have the widest outreach in today’s day and age (Barthel-Bouchier 2016). The author even points to the importance of training local guides in the topic of cultural heritage of Tanzania and its management so that they are able to do a good job of giving tourists a correct idea about what the cultural heritage of Tanzania is all about, while earning a decent income upon doing so. Finally, the author points to the importance of special committees that need to be organized and set up if cultural heritage is to be properly managed in a country that is as large and as diverse as Tanzania. Different committees and sub committees need to be formed that are in charge of specific activities and roles, so that heritage management activities are carried out on an even keel (Alivizatou 2016).
It is safe to say that the author has done a good deal of research in order to come up with the various points or arguments that have been presented throughout the article. The author has for instance, conducted quite a few in depth personal interviews as well as group discussions in order to understand how tourism operations are conducted in Tanzania and how things exactly work at the local or domestic levels, in order to make the right suggestions and recommendations for cultural tourism development and cultural heritage management in Tanzania. However, the references given at the bottom of the article clearly reveal that the author relies a bit too much on the use of secondary literature in order to make many of his arguments. The use of more primary data and field resources would have been welcome, given the importance and the relevance of the topic that has been discussed by the author in this article. The excessive use of secondary literature on the part of the author is what makes the article a well informed piece, but not something that can be regarded as too original an academic work.
References
Akagawa, N. and Smith, L. eds., 2018. Intangible Heritage: The Practices and Politics of Safeguarding. Routledge.
Alivizatou, M., 2016. Intangible heritage and the museum: New perspectives on cultural preservation. Routledge
Barthel-Bouchier, D., 2016. Cultural heritage and the challenge of sustainability. Routledge.
Boonzaaier, C. and Wels, H., 2018. Authenticity lost? The significance of cultural villages in the conservation of heritage in South Africa. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 13(2), pp.181-193.
Dinnie, K., 2015. Nation branding: Concepts, issues, practice. Routledge.
Ekern, S., Logan, W., Sauge, B. and Sinding-Larsen, A. eds., 2016. World Heritage Management and Human Rights. Routledge.
Graham, B., Ashworth, G. and Tunbridge, J., 2016. A geography of heritage: Power, culture and economy. Routledge.
Guzmán, P.C., Roders, A.P. and Colenbrander, B.J.F., 2017. Measuring links between cultural heritage management and sustainable urban development: An overview of global monitoring tools. Cities, 60, pp.192-201.
Mabulla, A.Z., 2000. Strategy for cultural heritage management (CHM) in Africa: A case study. African Archaeological Review, 17(4), pp.211-233.
Mortara, M., Catalano, C.E., Bellotti, F., Fiucci, G., Houry-Panchetti, M. and Petridis, P., 2014. Learning cultural heritage by serious games. Journal of Cultural Heritage, 15(3), pp.318-325.
Ndoro, W., Chirikure, S. and Deacon, J. eds., 2017. Managing Heritage in Africa: Who Cares?. Routledge.
Raj, R. and Griffin, K.A. eds., 2015. Religious tourism and pilgrimage management: An international perspective. Cabi
Rogerson, C.M. and Van der Merwe, C.D., 2016. Heritage tourism in the global South: Development impacts of the cradle of humankind world heritage site, South Africa. Local Economy, 31(1-2), pp.234-248.
Schmidt, P.R. and Pikirayi, I. eds., 2016. Community archaeology and heritage in Africa: Decolonizing practice. Routledge.
Smith, M.K., 2015. Issues in cultural tourism studies. Routledge.
Timothy, D.J., 2017. Managing heritage and cultural tourism resources: Critical essays, Volume one. Routledge.
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