Serengeti National Park voted as top National Park in Africa

By Osoro Nyawangah, DAR ES SALAAM Tanzania

Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park has been ranked as the Africa’s Leading National Park in 2020 by the World Travel Awards (WTA) as Kenya being ranked Africa’s leading tourist destination in the continent.

Serengeti National Park

The results were announced Monday November 9 virtually from England during the 27th WTA finals in an event that coincided with the Africa Winners Day.

The Serengeti National Park came first beating Central Kalahari Game Reserve of Botswana, Etosha National Park of Namibia, Kidepo Valley National Park of Uganda, Kruger National Park of South Africa and Maasai Mara National Reserve of Kenya.

In the vast plains of Serengeti National Park, comprising 1.5 million hectares of savannah, the annual migration of two million wildebeests plus hundreds of thousands of gazelles and zebras - followed by their predators in their annual migration in search of pasture and water – is one of the most impressive nature spectacles in the world.

The biological diversity of the park is very high with at least four globally threatened or endangered animal species: black rhinoceros, elephant, wild dog, and cheetah.

The Serengeti plains harbour the largest remaining unaltered animal migration in the world where over one million wildebeest plus hundreds of thousands of other ungulates engage in a 1,000 km long annual circular trek spanning the two adjacent countries of Kenya and Tanzania.

This spectacular phenomenon takes place in a unique scenic setting of ‘endless plains’: 25,000km² of treeless expanses of spectacularly flat short grasslands dotted with rocky outcrops interspersed with rivers and woodlands.

The Park also hosts one of the largest and most diverse large predator-prey interactions worldwide, providing a particularly impressive aesthetic experience.

The remarkable spatial-temporal gradient in abiotic factors such as rainfall, temperature, topography and geology, soils and drainage systems in Serengeti National Park manifests in a wide variety of aquatic and terrestrial habitats.

The combination of volcanic soils combined with the ecological impact of the migration results in one of the most productive ecosystems on earth, sustaining the largest number of ungulates and the highest concentration of large predators in the world.

The ecosystem supports 2 million wildebeests, 900,000 Thomson’s gazelles and 300,000 zebras as the dominant herds.

Other herbivores include 7,000 elands, 27,000 topis, 18,000 hartebeests, 70,000 buffalos, 4,000 giraffes, 15,000 warthogs, 3,000 waterbucks, 2,700 elephants, 500 hippopotamuses, 200 black rhinoceroses, 10 species of antelope and 10 species of primate.

Major predators include 4,000 lions, 1000 leopards, 225 cheetahs, 3,500 spotted hyenas and 300 wild dogs.

Of these, the black rhino Diceros bicornis, leopard Panthera pardus, African elephant Loxodonta africana and cheetah Acynonix jubatus are listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red list of threatened species.

There are over 500 species of birds that are perennially or seasonally present in the Park, of which five species are endemic to Tanzania. The Park has the highest ostrich population in Tanzania and probably Africa, making the population globally important.

Other winners include Tanzania’s Thanda Island in Mafia as ‘Africa’s Leading Luxury Island’, Shambala Private Game Reserve, South Africa scooped the ‘Africa’s Leading Private Game Reserve’ and the Oberoi Marrakech, Morocco as ‘Africa’s Leading Hotel Suite’.

WTA named the Zanzibar’s Hotel La Gemma dell’Est as the ‘Africa’s Leading All-Inclusive Resort as Port of Dar Es Salaam takes the award for ‘Africa’s Leading Cruise Port’

The results follow a year-long search for the world’s top travel, tourism and hospitality brands. Votes were cast by travel industry professionals and the public.

WTA was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry.

Thanda Island, Mafia Tanzania

Kenya emerged top for its tantalising cocktail of epic savannah landscapes, immense herds of wildlife and palm-fringed beaches. Maasai Mara Game Reserve, Samburu National Reserve, Shimba Hills National Reserve, Sweet Waters Game Reserve, and Tsavo National Park were named among the country’s top safari destinations.

This comes at a time when the sector is experiencing challenges occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nairobi was named Africa’s Leading Business Travel Destination while Kenyatta International Convention Centre won Africa’s Leading Meetings and Conference Centre award.

Nairobi beat its closest competitor, Cape Town in South Africa which was named Africa’s Leading Festival and Event Destination. Its majestic Table Mountain was named Africa’s Leading Tourist Attraction.

South African city of Durban was voted Africa’s Leading City Destination.

In the hospitality sector, Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club’s unique comforts in the shadow of Mt Kenya helped it to clinch the Africa’s Leading Hotel title, while Saxon Hotel, Villas & Spa in South Africa was named Africa’s Leading Boutique Hotel.

Kenya’s Aberdare Country Club was voted Africa’s Leading Green Hotel.

Other winners include Shambala Private Game Reserve, South Africa (Africa’s Leading Private Game Reserve). 

Kenya’s Twiga Tours scooped three awards, including the coveted World Responsible Tourism Award Africa's.

The safari company was also the best in its category as Kenya's Leading Inbound Tour Operator and Kenya's Leading Safari Company 2020.

In the aviation sector, Ethiopia Airlines lifted ‘Africa’s Leading Airline’, whilst ‘Africa’s Leading Airport’ went to Cape town International Airport. 

Kenya Airways picked up both ‘Africa’s Leading Airline – Business Class’ and ‘Africa’s leading Airline – Economic Class’.

The FastJet was named the ‘Africa’s Leading Low-Cost Airline’ beating Air Arabia, Fly540, JamboJet, Kilula.com and Mango. - Africa