Mara tourists to pay more in new plan

Tourists visiting the Maasai Mara Game Reserve will have to pay 50 per cent more than the current rates if a proposed 10 year management plan is approved.

Narok and Transmara county councils have proposed that foreign visitors staying in lodges and camps inside the park for 24 hours pay $60 (Sh4,600) instead of the current $40 (Sh3,000).

Manage reserve

The plan, to be tabled soon by the two civic authorities that manage the reserve, further proposes to introduce a special fee of $20 (Sh1,500) for tourists in four wheel drive vehicles destined for areas designated as low visitors’ density.

“Every visitor will pay 40 dollars a night for beds in eco-lodges and eco-camps and 10 dollars for beds in lodges while owners of vehicles entering for a day will part with 10 dollars,” the report seen by the Saturday Nation reads in part. All visitors passing through the Mara Bridge during the high season to view wildebeests crossing the Mara River from Serengeti plains in Tanzania would pay $10 (Sh750), the report states.

This is apparently intended to tap into the spectacular sight (the 7th wonder of the world) which usually takes place between July 1 and September 30. The increase and introduction of high and low tourism zones will see annual revenue collection for Narok County Council rise from the current Sh1.8 billion to Sh2.7 billion and for Transmara from Sh412 million to Sh766 million, the ambitious plan projects.

The proposed changes come against the backdrop of intensified operations in the world famous game reserve which has seen 13 hotels sued for illegally running lodges and a ban on construction of new tourist facilities in the conservancy until a long term management plan for the ecosystem is formulated.

Tourism minister Najib Balala has urged the Kenya Revenue Authority, the Catering and Tourism Development Levy Trustees and the National Environmental Management Authority to carry out an audit of all the facilities in the park.

Hot air

Under the plan mooted by the councils, an approximate 50 per cent rise in revenue is projected for Narok County Council and an approximate 90 per cent for Transmara, says the 2009-2019 management plan. The project was funded and developed by the African Wildlife Foundation, The Mara Conservancy, The Conservation Development Centre and the two civic authorities.

The draft also seeks to reduce the number of hot air sightseeing balloons to 15 with each serving an area of 100 square kilometres to minimise wildlife disturbance and environmental damages from balloon collection vehicles which are often forced to drive off the designated roads especially during wet weather.

It says no additional or expansion of the existing balloon Safari operations will be permitted during the 10 year life span of the plan. “Stakeholders are concerned that there are too many balloons operating in Maasai Mara and that is undermining the quality of tourism product and in particular the wilderness value which is an important aspect in tourism,” it adds. The report, if adopted, will see communities neighbouring the park and along the wildlife dispersal areas compensated for loss of livestock.