In many areas, rural life is an attraction on its own.   Carefully cultivated plots and lush tropical vegetation form a backdrop for simple traditional houses. Women in colourful dresses carry buckets of water and bunches of firewood back home. Villagers participate  in development projects, from irrigation systems to primary schools. The people are willing to receive tourists and show them daily life, culture and scenery in their villages.  They see tourism as an activity that can create employment and generate income, which can be used for improving their  living conditions.

Cultural tourism refers to a form of tourism in which local people are closely involved. They design and organise the tours, show tourists aspects of the area in which they live and of their daily life. During the tours, local people often show their development projects, like irrigation and soil conservation activities or income generating projects of women's groups. Visitors leave the area feeling they have made new friends and with information on the many positive developments going on in rural Tanzania.

The Tanzanian Cultural Tourism Programme was awarded the 1999 TODO award for socially responsible tourism.  This award is given annually by the German organisation (Studienkreis Fur Tourismus Und Entiwicklung e.V.).  The Tanzanian Cultural Tourism Programme was selected as the award winner from a pool of numerous socially responsible tour operations throughout the world.  The TODO award symbolises the high quality of the Cultural Tourism Programme tours which tourists can experience.

Anyone interested in receiving more information about the Cultural Tourism Programme can contact the co-ordination office in Arusha.