AFCON 2027: TANAPA strategy to turn football fans into tourism revenue

ARUSHA: AS East Africa prepares to host the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for the first time in history, Tanzania is pursuing a strategy that extends well beyond football.

Officials believe the month-long tournament could become one of the biggest tourism marketing opportunities the country has ever received, creating a pipeline of new visitors, investment and business opportunities that could outlast the final whistle by years.

At the centre of that plan is the Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), which is redesigning visitor experiences across parks near tournament host cities in an effort to convert football supporters into safari tourists.

The 2027 AFCON tournament, scheduled between 19 June and 17 July and jointly hosted by Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, is expected to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to East Africa.

For Tanzania, whose northern tourism circuit begins just outside the host city of Arusha, the event presents an unusual economic opportunity, leveraging a major sporting event to drive growth in wildlife tourism, one of the country’s most important foreign exchange earners.

“Our teams are enhancing visitor services, establishing official watch zones and managing visitor capacity to accommodate the expected increase in international sports tourism,” said TANAPA Conservation Commissioner CPA (T) Mussa Nasoro Kuji.

Betting on the AFCON effect

Major sporting events have increasingly become platforms for destination marketing.

Countries hosting events such as the FIFA World Cup, Olympic Games and continental championships often seek to convert temporary visitors into future tourists or investors.

Tanzania is attempting to apply a similar model.

The country’s tourism industry already enjoys strong international recognition through attractions such as Serengeti National Park, Mount Kilimanjaro, Manyara and Tarangire national parks.

However, officials see AFCON as an opportunity to broaden visitor spending and encourage longer stays beyond match days.

One of the key beneficiaries could be a 66 -year-old Lake Manyara National Park, located approximately 126 kilometres (78 miles) southwest of Arusha.

The park is close enough to function as a day trip for football visitors, reachable within one-and-a-half to two hours by road or about 20 minutes by air from Arusha Airport.

But TANAPA believes accessibility alone will not be enough to compete for visitor spending.

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Instead, the authority is investing in new adventure tourism products aimed at a younger demographic increasingly interested in active travel experiences.

“Our experts at Lake Manyara are working extra time to finalise tourism activities that resonate with sports enthusiasts while complementing our traditional wildlife attractions,” Mr Kuji said.

Diversifying the safari product

For decades, Tanzania’s tourism model has largely revolved around game drives and wildlife viewing.

Now park managers are experimenting with experiences that blend conservation tourism with adventure travel.

Assistant Conservation Commissioner, Dr Yustina Kiwango, the Commanding Officer of Lake Manyara National Park, said five new attractions are nearing completion.

These include a zip line, a giant swing, canoeing activities, an elevated canopy walk and hiking trails along the Rift Valley escarpment.

“We have developed these adventure activities specifically for tourists with a sporting mindset who will be attending AFCON matches,” she said.

The strategy reflects broader shifts in global tourism demand, where travellers increasingly seek experiential activities rather than passive sightseeing.

The new products will complement existing offerings including game drives, night safaris, guided shore walks, birdwatching and walking tours in the Marang’ Forest.

“Lake Manyara offers almost every experience available within Tanzania’s tourism portfolio,” Dr Kiwango said.

A natural asset with strong market appeal

From a business perspective, Lake Manyara’s value lies in its concentration of attractions within a relatively small area.

The park is internationally known for its rare tree-climbing lions, large elephant populations, extensive baboon troops and more than 400 recorded bird species.

Although rhinoceros are absent, the park hosts four members of Africa’s celebrated “Big Five” wildlife species: elephant, lion, leopard and buffalo.

The tree-climbing lions remain one of its strongest tourism assets.

Unlike most lion populations across Africa, Manyara’s lions frequently rest in acacia trees.

Scientists believe the behaviour developed as an adaptation to local environmental conditions.

Climbing provides relief from heat and humidity, helps avoid biting insects and offers elevated vantage points for spotting prey and monitoring potential threats.

Researchers also suggest the behaviour is socially learned, with younger lions copying older pride members and passing the practice across generations.

Because such behaviour is extremely rare globally, it has become a distinctive tourism brand for the park.

Biodiversity as economic capital

Conservation officials argue that the park’s ecological complexity underpins its tourism value.

One of its most important features is a groundwater forest sustained by underground water emerging from the Great Rift Valley escarpment.

The forest remains green throughout the year, even during dry periods.

Species such as sycamore fig (Ficus sycomorus), African mahogany (Khaya anthotheca), Trichilia emetica and Croton macrostachyus create a dense canopy that supports wildlife, regulates temperatures and preserves moisture.

The habitat serves as a refuge for elephants, monkeys, birds and numerous other species during periods of drought.

Ecologically, the forest functions as the engine of biodiversity within the park, sustaining plant and animal communities that would struggle to survive in drier conditions.

Lake Manyara itself represents another unique natural asset.

The lake is alkaline because it occupies a closed basin with no outlet.

Minerals transported by rivers and springs accumulate as water evaporates, creating highly saline conditions.

This environment limits fish diversity but supports specialised algae, bacteria and microscopic aquatic organisms that form the basis of a food chain sustaining large populations of flamingos and other waterbirds.

Rainfall fluctuations alter salinity levels, periodically reshaping the ecosystem and influencing species abundance.

For visitors, these natural processes create a distinctive landscape and wildlife experience.

For TANAPA, they represent a competitive advantage in an increasingly crowded global tourism marketplace.

Looking for investors

Beyond attracting visitors, TANAPA is also using AFCON preparations to signal investment opportunities.

Dr Kiwango said the authority is encouraging investors to explore luxury accommodation projects within the Marang’ Forest area of the park.

She argues the landscape remains largely untapped and could support high-end tourism developments.

Among the ideas being considered is the possibility of a golf course integrated into the forest environment, a proposal aimed at diversifying the visitor experience and attracting higher-spending travellers.

The Marang’ Forest itself adds another layer to the park’s appeal.

Incorporated into the park in 2009, it contains miombo woodland species such as Brachystegia and Julbernardia, creating a distinct ecosystem not found elsewhere in the protected area.

Combined with the park’s groundwater forest, floodplains, freshwater springs, alkaline lake, grasslands and Rift Valley escarpment, it contributes to a remarkable concentration of seven ecosystems within a relatively small geographic area.

Beyond a sporting event

The larger question facing Tanzania is whether a temporary influx of football supporters can generate lasting economic benefits.

Tourism economists often note that major sporting events deliver the greatest returns when they stimulate repeat visitation, encourage private investment and strengthen a destination’s international brand.

That appears to be the model TANAPA is pursuing.

Rather than treating AFCON solely as a sporting occasion, officials are positioning it as a showcase for Tanzania’s wider tourism economy.

If successful, visitors arriving to watch football in Arusha and other host cities could generate demand for accommodation, domestic aviation, tour operators, hospitality businesses and conservation-based tourism products long after the tournament concludes.

For TANAPA, the goal is straightforward, ensure that when football fans come to East Africa for AFCON, they discover enough reasons to return as tourists.
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