It doesn’t matter how much you will spend; IT WORTH IT. Article By Ayanna Albert

INTRO by The Light Team: Before you read about all the writer of this article has to share, May we take this opportunity to introduce to you the writer and the purpose of sharing this article.

Over the past 10 years, Tourism in Africa is growing so successful, with an estimated total of 36 million tourists last year; it is indeed a huge number compared to any other continent in the world. This great success, by an excessive scope has contributed so much to our nation’s development.

So many challenges are facing Tourism in Africa; one of them is an infinite deteriorating of local tourism and the number of people who goes outside of Africa for tourism purposes. This is so important to be addressed because tourism goes further than that just accumulating dough from foreigners; it’s not just about receiving guests but being a guest to somewhere or/and someone!

In Africa we barely see the implication of tourism, not because it is costly but because it’s not in our mind, it’s not in our life and far worse, most of us think it’s not our thing! But if there are two things inseparable, are

1. Development/change/advancement/invention/innovation/entrepreneurship and

2. Exposure.

There is no way exposure will leave you the same, it must impact you and in most cases positively.

Let it be an aspiration and a motivation to our fellow Africans… GO, EXPLORE. Not necessary outside Africa, depending on your serving; you can start anywhere you can afford! It doesn’t matter how much you will spend; IT WORTH IT.

Introducing to you Miss Ayanna, a student of Business studies in one of the Universities in Arusha-Tanzania (they call Arusha: GENEVA OF AFRICA), sharing with us his first experience outside Tanzania as a tourist.

LET’S JOIN HER. Karibu

At the age of 18; I was going to experience an adventure of travelling outside Tanzania. Going to Zimbabwe was my first experience and the funny thing is how I found myself relaxed! I knew that all will be just fine. Lucky, I can say, I didn't have a direct flight from Tanzania to Zimbabwe! I had to pass through South Africa and Zambia to make my way to Zimbabwe .This was just another great adventure for me to learn more and experience more.

Well; South Africa airport at Johannesburg is bigger and very different from the one in Tanzania; so, I had to ask someone to direct me to my gate. And with a humble assistance from the airport I succeeded to make my way to Zambia. I was well received in Zambia by a driver who took me to the border of Zimbabwe. Arriving in Zimbabwe, I really had a wonderful time to meet my friends, Patricia and Edward Slaughter who were my hosts; they were just glad that I MADE IT ALONE!

During dinner we had a table of about 12 people from different countries who were travelling all over the world. It was such an international exposure and it really strengthens the thoughts I always had, believed myself to be capable of such an exposure. The exposure silenced all the other circumstances that tried to speak otherwise; Just a single night but amazed with so much exposure and experience.

All first-hand experiences I managed, from travelling, border clearing and meeting new people, new culture, new foods, and new styles; was such an incredible experience. The boat excursion was one of the greatest experiences. It was my first time on a boat, and we navigated to Victoria waterfalls, and the look was really spectacular and astonishing.

We also walked through Dr Livingstone steps. Viewing Victoria waterfalls from both parts of Zambia and Zimbabwe was really exquisite; it makes me want to take my family there someday! Seeing people taking the bungee jump at the river was so scary that I really didn’t want to try. But you can do it.

During lunch while viewing Victoria Falls we met with other tourists; when they heard am from Tanzania they were so excited and we started speaking about Tanzania’s beauty. And it made me feel great because I promoted my country’s tourism and its natural wonders.

My next day I had to go and take a flight from Zambia to Johannesburg; one thing about adventure is that, you don’t want it to end! My connection flight to Tanzania was until the next day and that I realised it before I left Zimbabwe.

The adventure began when I arrived at Johannesburg airport; I went to the help desk to seek help if there were any flights to Tanzania available; I found none available so I took the second option of finding a place to spend my night till the next day. The airport help-desk helped me to check for a resting place and a taxi. Roughly it costed like 55 USD for a room, transport from the airport and back to the airport in the morning and breakfast.

Lastly I landed back in Tanzania.

This was my friends reply after I emailed her that, I arrived home safe, and after narrating the Johannesburg experience. She replied

“What an adventure! You did a great job of managing such situations. I hope that the entire experience has shown you that you have the ability to handle exposure to different environment. I'm very proud of you. You can confidently do anything you set your mind to and that is so important. It was absolutely wonderful to spend time with you in Victoria Falls and being with you made our stay there even more exciting and enjoyable. I was thinking about you our whole way home”

******THE END****

GO, EXPLORE; MAKE FRIENDS, EXCHANGE IDEAS; LEARN AND USE WHAT YOU HAVE DEVELOPED TO INSPIRE YOURSELF AND OTHERS.

Thank you for reading.