Tipping In Tanzania Safari
How, who and how much should we tip on safari in Tanzania?’ That’s a common question from travellers, so we’ve put together the following guidelines. Along with the general etiquette of Tipping In Tanzania Safari, we’ve highlighted the various points to consider, which we hope will help you to avoid awkward situations during Tanzania Safari Tours.
Tanzania’s economy: issues with tipping
Tipping In Tanzania should always depend on the quality of service received, and it is your choice whether or not to tip. Of course we encourage our travellers to appreciate good service, but we also try to make them aware of the impact of tipping on the local community.
For those working in the service industry in Tanzania, including waiters, guides and trackers, tips can form a significant part of their income. However, there is a fine balance between tipping enough, and tipping too much. You may not think that tipping too much could cause problems, but excessive tips can throw out the balance of the local economy.
To understand this better, consider the work of a senior park ranger. To achieve this status requires a high level of education and knowledge, as well as several years’ experience in different national parks. If done properly, this is a very important role, and a fair wage is paid for the job, but government-employed rangers aren’t usually top earners. Yet both the parks and their visitors benefit if educated and competent people are appointed to this kind of post.
Conversely, a safari camp assistant, who helps out generally and perhaps carries bags for guests, is also very necessary. Yet s/he doesn’t need to be so educated, or to have as much experience as a ranger, and s/he certainly won’t have the same level of responsibility or the same salary. So consider the effect if such a worker gets massive tips – totalling, say, US$500 a month. If that happens, there’s a very real possibility that s/he will end up earning more than the park’s ranger.
In this case, the local balance of responsibility and remuneration is distorted by the tips – which are too high. If this happened too often, it would remove the incentive for a ranger to work harder and take on more responsibility – and could well see park rangers giving up their jobs to become camp assistants, to the detriment of the park and its visitors.
So before you tip, do try to bear in mind the importance and extent of the work someone is doing for you, and remember to keep your tips proportionate.