Surviving Amidst COVID-19 Economic Impacts in Tanzania: Learning from Porters and Guides at Kilimanjaro National Park

COVID-19 severely disrupted Tanzania's tourism sector, which employs over one million people, including porters and guides at Kilimanjaro National Park. The pandemic led to a sharp decline in visitor numbers, drastically reducing incomes for these workers, who rely on seasonal employment. Despite this, the study found that porters and guides employed survival strategies such as personal savings, support from former tourists, subsistence farming, and alternative employment to mitigate economic hardship. These adaptations highlight their resilience but also underscore the need for better preparedness against future disruptions in the tourism industry.

(Ed.). (2021). Surviving Amidst COVID-19 Economic Impacts in Tanzania: Learning from Porters and Guides at Kilimanjaro National Park. International Tourism and Hospitality Journal. Internet Archive. https://doi.org/10.37227/ithj-2021-9-316