Tanzania’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism has ordered the Kilimanjaro Responsible Trekking Organisation (KRTO) to stop activities the government says exceed its legal mandate, formalising a long-running dispute over who has the authority to determine whether mountain-tourism operators are legitimate, Pan African Visions reported on August 15.
The directive, issued on August 13, warns KRTO against presenting itself as the authority that decides whether a mountain-tourism company or agent is legally entitled to operate in Tanzania. Under the country’s Tourism Act, the Director of Tourism and the Tourism Division hold statutory responsibility for licensing, registration and regulation of tourism service providers, a role the ministry says KRTO’s communications risk blurring for international travel agents and tourists.
KRTO describes itself as a registered Tanzanian non-governmental organisation focused on improving conditions for mountain porters, running a voluntary Partner for Responsible Travel programme assessed through the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project. Companies achieving at least an 85% performance score on measures including porter wages, tipping, meals, accommodation and load limits can qualify as partners, a status KRTO says can bring commercial advantages as some travellers actively seek out ethically certified operators.
That commercial dimension sits at the heart of the tension. Local tour operators complained in 2024 that international travel agents were increasingly favouring KPAP-partner companies, turning a voluntary welfare programme into a de facto filter for access to overseas customers. The Citizen reported at the time that KPAP’s list included 150 companies, of which 105 were foreign-affiliated and 45 were local. KRTO has rejected allegations of unfair trade practices, maintaining its focus remains on porter welfare rather than market control.
For adventure tour operators active on Kilimanjaro, the dispute underscores a distinction worth watching closely: government licensing remains the sole legal basis for operating in Tanzania, while KRTO’s ethical certification, however influential with international agents, carries no statutory standing. The ministry has warned that further activity it considers to exceed KRTO’s mandate will result in action without additional notice, though it has not detailed what enforcement steps that might involve.