Imitation the most sincere form of flattery? Or the last acts of desperation………..

Something I/we have been pondering for a while now, there is an element on Mafia that appears to follow our every move, butting in on our conversations on social media sites, telling tour operators all sorts of bizarre nonsense about us, poaching our staff, posting misleading information on travel forums and other websites. This has stepped up since the publication of the latest Rough Guide to Tanzania which gave us a very good review. Perhaps there’s jealousy creeping in?

But here’s the thing; there is more than enough room on this Island for every one of the small number of Lodges/camps. Each offers something different, aimed at different types of client, ranging from extreme sport types to beachcombers and lovers! There’s also a range of prices to cover all types of traveller and holidaymaker. So why the need for any dirty underhand dealings? It may be that we are naïve in our approach to business. However, these activities don’t seem to achieve much and could be damaging to the reputation of the islands tourism industry. The biggest losers would be the islanders themselves, not the likes of us and the owners of most of the other lodges who always have choices if the going gets bad.

We’re all concerned with survival during these difficult economic times but surely it’s better to concentrate on providing the best experience for tourists and promoting this wonderful island in a positive manner?