ATA 33rd Congress Photos - one - two - three - four. . -five - six - seven - eight - Host Day
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Arusha's
Big 4:
•
ATA
33rd
Congress:
•
Leon
H. Sullivan Summit
I am Arusha
... by Jerry W.
Bird In addition to
tourism, my chief industry is agricultural, with
coffee, vegetables and flowers for the European
market. I am well known as a center for jewelry
made from Tanzanite. I am the most popular staging
point for treks to the foothills and peaks of Mt.
Kilimanjaro. My airports
include Kilimanjaro International Airport near
Moshii and Arusha Airport for smaller domestic
flights. Ground transportation includes bus service
to Nairobi, Dodoma and Dar Es Salaam and other
points. In May 2008 I
was honored as host city for the Africa Travel
Association's 33rd Annual World Congress, followed
in early June by the prestigious Leon Sullivan
Summit. These two major international events
brought the world to Arusha and Arusha to the
world. My citizens are justly proud. Here are
comments from media participants at the ATA
Congress, "The
changes in Arusha and area since our last ATA
Congress here in 1998 are astounding, with many new
hotels and services, such as the
East
African All Suites
Hotel,
where our media team had the pleasure of staying.
Near Kilimanjaro International Airport, Arusha is
gateway to the world's greatest wildlife spectacle
and known as Africa's Safari Capital." Muguette
Goufrani, Africa Travel Magazine, Vancouver, BC,
Canada. More
to come... Summit
of a LIfetime! Travelers'
Philanthropy Conference, Arusha, Tanzania. Dec.
3-5, 2008,.
"Making Travelers' Philanthropy Work for
Development, Business, and Conservation" Editor's
Congress Reflections .. Arusha National
Park Although elephants
are uncommon in Arusha National Park, and lions
absent altogether, leopards and spotted hyenas may
be seen slinking around in the early morning and
late afternoon. It is also at dusk and dawn that
the veil of cloud on the eastern horizon is most
likely to clear, revealing the majestic snow-capped
peaks of Kilimanjaro, only 50km (30 miles) distant.
But it is
Kilimanjaro's unassuming cousin, Mount Meru - the
fifth highest in Africa at 4,566 metres (14,990
feet) &endash; that dominates the park's horizon.
Its peaks and eastern footslopes protected within
the national park, Meru offers unparalleled views
of its famous neighbour, while also forming a
rewarding hiking destination in its own
right. Passing
first through wooded savannah where buffalos and
giraffes are frequently encountered, the ascent of
Meru leads into forests aflame with red-hot pokers
and dripping with Spanish moss, before reaching
high open heath spiked with giant lobelias.
Everlasting flowers cling to the alpine desert, as
delicately-hoofed klipspringers mark the hike's
progress. Astride the craggy summit, Kilimanjaro
stands unveiled, blushing in the
sunrise. About Arusha National
Park Size: 137 sq km
(53 sq miles). Location: Northern
Tanzania, northeast of Arusha town. Getting
there An easy 40-minute
drive from Arusha. Approximately 60 km (35 miles)
from Kilimanjaro International Airport. The lakes,
forest and Ngurdoto Crater can all be visited in
the course of a half-day outing at the beginning or
end of an extended northern safari. What to do Forest walks,
numerous picnic sites; three- or four-day
Mt Meru climb - good acclimatisation for
Kilimanjaro. When to go To climb Mt Meru,
June-February although it may rain in November.
Best views of
Kilimanjaro December-February. Accommodation A lodge, two rest
houses, camp sites, two mountain huts inside the
park; two lodges at Usa River outside the park and
many hotels and hostels in Arusha town. |
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Flashback
1998.
Elyse
White of ATA New York Chapter was belle of the
ball. In Africa, she has found her own "fountain of
youth" reflected by an upbeat attitude. In our
opinion, Travel and fashion go together like
bananas and cream. The "Upbeat African look" is not
limited to evening wear or special events, it's
expressed in a variety of ways. For instance our
photo of delegates on safari makes its own point;
you can look your best on the desert or Savannah,
just as you can at a convention or cocktail party.
A tribute to 
The
Eyes of Africa and Diaspora are on Arusha and the
Leon H. Sullivan Summit. Ambassador Andrew Young,
Jesse Jackson, Hope Masters, Former President
Obasanjo of Nigeria and a Superstar Panel led off
Opening Day Activities.
Week's program includes Tourism Ministers from
many African Countries. 
FLASHBACK
ARUSHA, TANZANIA, May
1998: The first of what is now an annual affair
at ATA Congresses or Symposia was held at Arusha's
Impala Hotel. Chief Margaret Fabiyi and Helen
Broadus, didn't use the usual bevy of long-legged
pencil slim models; ATA members became the stars as
they presented an eye-popping array of fashion
finery. Peter Janssen of Inter-Continental Hotels
and Gaynelle Henderson Bailey (USA) showcased an
attractive black and gold combination. The show was
a cultural mix of African textiles and
creations.
Try a search on
Google for 
The
closest national park to Arusha town - northern
Tanzania's safari capital &endash; Arusha National
Park is a multi-faceted jewel, often overlooked by
safarigoers, despite offering the opportunity to
explore a beguiling diversity of habitats within a
few hours. The entrance gate leads into shadowy
montane forest inhabited by inquisitive blue
monkeys and colourful turacos and trogons &endash;
the only place on the northern safari circuit where
the acrobatic black-and-white colobus monkey is
easily seen. In the midst of the forest stands the
spectacular Ngurdoto Crater, whose steep, rocky
cliffs enclose a wide marshy floor dotted with
herds of buffalo and warthog.
Further north,
rolling grassy hills enclose the tranquil beauty of
the Momela Lakes, each one a different hue of green
or blue. Their shallows sometimes tinged pink with
thousands of flamingos, the lakes support a rich
selection of resident and migrant waterfowl, and
shaggy waterbucks display their large lyre-shaped
horns on the watery fringes. Giraffes glide across
the grassy hills, between grazing zebra herds,
while pairs of wide-eyed dik-dik dart into scrubby
bush like overgrown hares on spindly
legs.