TANZANIA PLANS CABLE CAR FOR MOUNT KILIMANJARO

Tanzania wants to boost tourist
numbers by putting a cable car on Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest mountain, and is
in talks about the project with a Chinese and a
Western company.

Around 50 000 tourists climb Kilimanjaro annually. A cablecar could increase
tourist numbers by 50% by providing access to the mountain for those unable to
climb it, Constantine Kanyasu, the deputy minister
for tourism, said.

The country is conducting feasibility studies on possible routes at the
moment, Kanyasu told Reuters.

“We are still doing a feasibility study to see if this project works,” he said.
“There are two companies one from China and another from a Western country that
have shown interest.”

“This won’t be the first time in the world, cable cars are there in Sweden, Italy, the Himalayas,” he said.

Kanyasu said the government was looking at business plans, potential
investors and profits.

The length of the route has not been finalised, with various options
under consideration depending on cost and engineering issues, the minister
said. An environmental impact assessment would also
be carried out, he said.

Porter and guide groups who take tourists up the mountain oppose
the project because they fear cable cars will reduce the
number of climbers.

Loishiye Mollel, head of Tanzania Porters’ Organisation,
said visitors normally spend a week climbing the mountain.

“One visitor from the U.S. can have a maximum of 15 people behind
him, of which 13 are porters, a cook and a guide. All these jobs will be
affected by a cable car,” he said.  “We are of the view that the mountain
should be left as it is.”

There are about 20,000 porters working between Mount Kilimanjaro and Meru, another mountain nearby, he
said.

Tanzania‘s earnings from tourism jumped 7.13% last year,
helped by an increase in arrivals from foreign visitors. Tourism revenues raised
$2.43-billion for the year, up from $2.19-billion in 2017.

Tourism is the main source of hard currency in Tanzania, known for its beaches, wildlife safaris and Mount Kilimanjaro, which has three volcanic cones and is nearly 5 000 m high from its base. https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/tanzania-plans-cable-car-for-mount-kilimanjaro-2019-05-07