East Africa’s leading tourist town of Arusha elevated into autonomous city

TANZANIA (eTN) – Located at the center of Africa, Tanzania’s sprawling tourist town of Arusha has officially been elevated into a full-fledged city, boasting of its rich tourism and ideal position in the African continent.

Standing exactly at the middle of Africa between Cape Town in South Africa and Cairo in Egypt, Arusha town is a fast-growing cosmopolitan area in East Africa with modern life blended with African, Europeam, and Asian cultures, all of which attracted international visitors to the town.

Named “Geneva of Africa” by the former American President Bill Clinton, Arusha town has its prominence growing fast into an international gathering metropolitan.

Tanzanian President Mr. Jakaya Kikwete has officially elevated the town into a city status, attracting more business and tourists to the area.

Located at the foothills of Mount Meru, the second highest mountain in Tanzania, Arusha is a sophisticated, lively city, standing as the leading commercial center in northern Tanzania. The Clock Tower roundabout, an exact center of Africa, is a place where tourists crossing the African continent from Cape to Cairo pay a quick visit to take photographs.

Seated at an elevation of 1,500 meters above sea level, Arusha has been granted a city status by the President of Tanzania by its prominence as the gateway to East Africa’s most famous wildlife parks, international conferences, and business.

Rising from the old Maasai settlement to a modern living metropolitan, Arusha city is the hub of Tanzania’s tourism, harboring over 90 percent of tourist companies operating in northern Tanzania.

Modern and international-class shopping bazaars, coffee bars, curio shops, hotels, and museums dominate Arusha city’s prominence. These recreational and educational facilities are flocked with people of different cultures and nationalities.

The Goliondoi road area past the main post office and the Arusha Hotel provides shopping for the tourists and other visitors. There are 400 shops here, organized mostly by craft guilds.

Jewelry made of gold, copper, diamonds, and the famous tanzanite are sold in shops along Goliondoi Street, while Makonde wood carvings are sold at open spaces off the street.

The Arusha International Conference center (AICC) is the biggest building in this new city. This huge triangular building gives the city an international image. It accommodates the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) of which nationals from various nations work there, holding different professions.

Near the AICC is the Old German Boma, a site of early German administration in Arusha region. It now accommodates the Natural History Museum, stocked with different species of wildlife, birds, and insects collected from various parts of northern Tanzania, mostly from wildlife parks.

While visiting the museum, you can enjoy a cup of coffee, soft or hard drinks in its garden bar.

The Arusha Declaration Monument and the museum nearby would tell more about political and economic development of Tanzania since 1961, when the Tanzania’s political blue print – the Arusha Declaration – was passed and signed in February 1967, and this document added prominence in the city.

The annual Karibu Travel and Tourism Fair (KTTF) is the leading travel trade gathering in East Africa, which brings the world to Arusha city. Organized by the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) and other stakeholders in tourism, the Karibu Travel and Tourism Fair is now a regional event that also features many products and delegates from Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda.

The Karibu Travel Fair provides an ideal opportunity for overseas buyers and travel stakeholders to meet the market leaders in the East African tourism industry and learn about emerging trends and developments.
Arusha city entered into records in 1898 and 1900 when German administrators built their base at the foothills of Mount Meru in northern Tanzania.

The city stands as the gateway to famous the wildlife parks of Tarangire, Arusha, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro in northern Tanzania, while Mount Kilimanjaro climbers plan their itineraries in this fast-growing city.

It is the headquarters of the East African Community made up of the five African states of Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi, sharing regional amenities including frequent travels by heads of governments and prominent dignitaries.

Being closer to Nairobi, the East Africa’s leading capital, Arusha has been a starting point for tourists from various parts of the world touring northern Tanzania, taking an advantage of air connection between Nairobi and big cities of the world.