by Karen
Hoffman
It should come as no surprise to anybody
who has been in the dynamic presence of
the Honorable Mme. Zakia Hamdani Meghji,
MP,Tanzania's Minister for Natural
Resources and Tourism since 1987, that the
door is wide open with opportunities for
women to excel as professionals in the
country's rapidly growing travel
industry,
starting right from the top. The private
sector, recently paid tribute to Hon.
Meghji (left) for her strong leadership
and contribution to the tremendous
increase in tourism since she became
Minister, and honored her by
affectionately naming her "Mama Utalii"
(Mother Tourism). Leading the Tanzania
Tourist Board (TTB) as Chairperson, is
another lady Hon. Fatma Saidi Alli (MP),
who has two women TTB member colleagues
Ms. Vicky Swai and Ms. Scholastica
Ponera.At the heart of TTB headquarters,
Judith Gumbo, Senior Administrative
Secretary to the Managing Director since
1993, brings to her position extensive
field experience from various national
parks around the country. Accomplished
women can be found in all sectors of the
industry, public and private: Ms. Maria
Mmari, Senior Tourist Officer, MNRT, Ms.
Mary Lwoga, Branch Manager, TTB Arusha;
Ms. Severa Masawe, Legal Counsel, TTB; Ms.
Saada Juma, British Airways Manager,
Tanzania - to name but only a few. Fatema
Tapya, Marketing Manager, Coastal
Travel Services. Coastal Travel Services.
Coastal Aviation, based in Dar es Salaam,
is truly a company on the cutting edge of
Tanzania Tourism. It has expanded from a
travel service providing charter and
schedule air carrier to the Southern
Circuit and Zanzibar to an airline that
"connects all the dots" by providing
service to all of Tanzania's National
parks, in addition to coastal and inland
destinations. At the heart and pulse of
this dynamic company is the Marketing
Manager Fatema Tapya. Originally from Dar
es Salaam, Tanzania, Fatema has been with
Coastal for five years. "I have always
been fascinated with nature and travel,
and joining Coastal gave me the head start
to make a career in tourism. Although
equipped with IATA accreditation, Fatema
says that most of her experience came
through on the job training. "We create
our own safaris, and this requires
hands-on practical experience," said
Fatema. Initially she started out as a
tour consultant, but now Fatema can be
found arranging special interest safaris,
sending out press releases, going on
safaris to see new products and
facilities, or at travel trade exhibitions
in Europe demonstrating Coastal's new
state-of-the art on-line reservation
system to travel agents. What does Fatema
find the most challenging part of her job?
Understanding the particular requirement
of tourists from different parts of the
world and cultures and how to design a
safari that will match these needs. Her
personal challenge, as a woman, is to
adapt her own role coming from a more
traditional culture, while at the same
time slip into the more public role of
taking care of tourists. Fatema's personal
warmth and professionalism seem to guide
her through this challenge very
successfully.More->
Veronica
Ufunguo,
Tourism
Officer, Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Authority
In
1996, Veronica Ufunguo, at 22, was one of
only two female tour guides in the
Ngorongoro Crater.
Born
in the Crater region, with a father that
worked for the Ngorongoro Conservation
Area Authority (NCAA), Veronica was always
fascinated with tourism and the benefits
that it brought to the local people.
However, she also understood early on the
conflicts that arise when balancing
tourism promotion with environmental and
cultural preservation. She started as a
Cadet with NCAA. Finally, she was selected
for the coveted job of tour guide in the
Crater. The three-month training was spent
learning the Crater routes, about the
animals and the flora and fauna. As
Veronica looks back on her guide
experience she said "the most rewarding
part was being able to take people to see
the animals close up and share their
excitement with them." However, she
admitted the challenges were learning how
to work with tourists, and explain about
some of the rules and regulations that
were necessary to enforce in order to
protect the environment, such as not being
able to get
environment,
such as not being able to get out of the
vehicles or dash after an animal off the
official crater routes. Her guide work at
NCAA inspired Veronica to study tourism at
Makarere University in Uganda where she
received her Bachelor in Tourism, majoring
in marketing, ecotourism and cultural
tourism. Upon graduation she did an
internship at Kilimanjaro National Park
where she helped gather visitor
statistics.
Now back at NCAA, Veronica is focusing on
improving the quality and standards of the
Visitors Center. "My vision is to help
create a Visitors Center that is
technologically up-to-date and
interactive. The facilities would have
information that will appeal to all ages,
as well as be accessible for tourists with
disabilities. Most important, the guides
at the center would be trained and
knowledgeable about the history of
Ngorongoro Conservation Area." She would
also like to introduce guest surveys on
site at the hotels and lodges around the
Crater. It is hard for tourists who meet
Veronica, not to be captivated by her
enthusiasm and love for the Ngorongoro
Crater area. Shabnaam
Saleem, Hotel General Manager
As I checked in to the Mtoni Marine Center
Hotel in Zanzibar, this lovely young lady,
elegantly dressed, extended a warm
welcome. She was working at the Front
Desk. She proceeded to offer me assistance
in making phone calls to set up interviews
and appointments and offered to give me a
tour of the beach front property. I had no
idea that Shabnaam Saleem, this modest,
soft spoken, 25- year-old, was the hotel's
General Manager. Shabnaam, born on
mainland Tanzania, received her degree
from Kenya's well known Utalii (Tourism)
College. She received hotel management
experience as an intern with Serena Lodges
and Hotels, one of East Africa's well
known luxury chains. If it was just the
fact that she was a woman, or only 25, it
would be enough of a challenge to command
the respect of her hotel staff. But
working in the environment of a very
traditional Zanzibari Culture, Shabnaam
said she had to learn how to be a good
manager within the context of society
expectations by showing respect for local
customs. As she donned her Buibui, the
traditional black cape and head covering,
to escort me to the airport, Shabnaam, a
gracious, yet determined young lady,
slipped gracefully between her role as
Hotel General Manager to her accepted role
as a woman in Swahili Society. Currently
Shabnaam has taken leave from Mtoni Marine
Center to pursue further studies in Hotel
Management. More->
Ms.
Suzan Muhwezi
is President of the Africa Travel
Association, Uganda Chapter, which is now
a growing force in the East African Travel
Tourism Community. Biography and profile
of Mrs.. Muhwezi to come.
industry,
starting right from the top. The private
sector, recently paid tribute to Hon.
Meghji (left) for her strong leadership
and contribution to the tremendous
increase in tourism since she became
Minister, and honored her by
affectionately naming her "Mama Utalii"
(Mother Tourism). Leading the Tanzania
Tourist Board (TTB) as Chairperson, is
another lady Hon. Fatma Saidi Alli (MP),
who has two women TTB member colleagues
Ms. Vicky Swai and Ms. Scholastica
Ponera.At the heart of TTB headquarters,
Judith Gumbo, Senior Administrative
Secretary to the Managing Director since
1993, brings to her position extensive
field experience from various national
parks around the country. Accomplished
women can be found in all sectors of the
industry, public and private: Ms. Maria
Mmari, Senior Tourist Officer, MNRT, Ms.
Mary Lwoga, Branch Manager, TTB Arusha;
Ms. Severa Masawe, Legal Counsel, TTB; Ms.
Saada Juma, British Airways Manager,
Tanzania - to name but only a few.
Fatema
Tapya, Marketing Manager, Coastal
Travel Services. Coastal Travel Services.
Coastal Aviation, based in Dar es Salaam,
is truly a company on the cutting edge of
Tanzania Tourism. It has expanded from a
travel service providing charter and
schedule air carrier to the Southern
Circuit and Zanzibar to an airline that
"connects all the dots" by providing
service to all of Tanzania's National
parks, in addition to coastal and inland
destinations. At the heart and pulse of
this dynamic company is the Marketing
Manager Fatema Tapya. Originally from Dar
es Salaam, Tanzania, Fatema has been with
Coastal for five years. "I have always
been fascinated with nature and travel,
and joining Coastal gave me the head start
to make a career in tourism. Although
equipped with IATA accreditation, Fatema
says that most of her experience came
through on the job training. "We create
our own safaris, and this requires
hands-on practical experience," said
Fatema. Initially she started out as a
tour consultant, but now Fatema can be
found arranging special interest safaris,
sending out press releases, going on
safaris to see new products and
facilities, or at travel trade exhibitions
in Europe demonstrating Coastal's new
state-of-the art on-line reservation
system to travel agents. What does Fatema
find the most challenging part of her job?
Understanding the particular requirement
of tourists from different parts of the
world and cultures and how to design a
safari that will match these needs. Her
personal challenge, as a woman, is to
adapt her own role coming from a more
traditional culture, while at the same
time slip into the more public role of
taking care of tourists. Fatema's personal
warmth and professionalism seem to guide
her through this challenge very
successfully.
In
1996, Veronica Ufunguo, at 22, was one of
only two female tour guides in the
Ngorongoro Crater.
Born
in the Crater region, with a father that
worked for the Ngorongoro Conservation
Area Authority (NCAA), Veronica was always
fascinated with tourism and the benefits
that it brought to the local people.
However, she also understood early on the
conflicts that arise when balancing
tourism promotion with environmental and
cultural preservation. She started as a
Cadet with NCAA. Finally, she was selected
for the coveted job of tour guide in the
Crater. The three-month training was spent
learning the Crater routes, about the
animals and the flora and fauna. As
Veronica looks back on her guide
experience she said "the most rewarding
part was being able to take people to see
the animals close up and share their
excitement with them." However, she
admitted the challenges were learning how
to work with tourists, and explain about
some of the rules and regulations that
were necessary to enforce in order to
protect the environment, such as not being
able to get
environment,
such as not being able to get out of the
vehicles or dash after an animal off the
official crater routes. Her guide work at
NCAA inspired Veronica to study tourism at
Makarere University in Uganda where she
received her Bachelor in Tourism, majoring
in marketing, ecotourism and cultural
tourism. Upon graduation she did an
internship at Kilimanjaro National Park
where she helped gather visitor
statistics.
