Mrs. Adventina Matungwa

Mrs. Adventina Matungwa Managing Director

Adventina Matungwa, the Executive Director of Walkgard Hotels told reporters in Dar es Salaam yesterday that various companies and business enterprises were presented with different awards from the BID.

"We were selected the winner following our commitment and devotion to promote tourism in country.

We have started and we pledge to continue investing more resources to lift up the sector," she said.

Matungwa said that Kagera region is endowed with vast and abundant tourism potentials if promoted would boost up the country status in tourism.

"The region has unique waterfalls, carves virgin natural forest tourist attractions cultural tourism and attractive beaches," said Matungwa.

"If utilized effectively and exhaustively these potentials could earn much credit from the outside world and more foreign earnings," she added.

The director said some potential investors from Spain have already expressed their interest to come and invest in Tanzania particularly Kagera on partnership basis with Walkgard Hotels.

"In this partnership we are eyeing Msila Island as our first tourism investment project, later on we will explore other tourist sites," she said.

Matungwa complained of high power tariffs charged on local tourist hotels and investments in Kagera, calling on the government intervene.

"We are paying over 3000 US dollar which is very high for we local investors.

We want the Government to reduce the taxes in order to encourage many local investors and thus the country tourism sector", she said.

Matungwa said that a Walkgard hotels receives tourists from US, Spain, UK and Scandinavian countries.

Adventina Matungwa, Managing Director for the Walkgard Hotel and Tours, based in Kagera region, told the Financial Times last week that they asked them to invest in the sector, because the number of local and foreign tourists who visited Destination Kagera Lake Zone, including Burigi Game Reserve, Minziro forest, Kabalande and Nyamuluku beaches, has now increased.

She said the number of tourists who visited Destination Kagera Lake Zone has increased from 50 in 2002, to 500 in 2004.

"We need joint ventures in building tourist camps because, Kagera region has many tourist attractions.It also has other products which can be exported in foreign countries," she said.