Tourism and the politics of the global land grab in Tanzania: markets, appropriation and recognition

In Loliondo, Tanzania, the Maasai community's perception of land rights and resource access has shifted towards favoring market-based relationships with ecotourism investors over state claims, despite the significant role foreign investors play in appropriating resources. This study reveals that while the Maasai face increasing pressure to commoditize their landscape, they retain faith in market dynamics as a means to legitimize land rights and secure resources. The research analyzes two tourism arrangements: ecotourism joint ventures between expatriate-owned companies and Maasai villages, and a hunting concession leased by the Tanzanian government to a UAE investor. Through qualitative analysis, it demonstrates how different articulations of market–state–community relationships become both materially and symbolically meaningful in this UNESCO World Heritage-adjacent region, highlighting the complexities of neoliberalism, landscape politics, and land rights in northern Tanzania.

Gardner, B. (2012). Tourism and the politics of the global land grab in Tanzania: markets, appropriation and recognition. Journal of Peasant Studies, 39(2), 377–402. https://doi.org/10.1080/03066150.2012.666973