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How primate projects in East Africa show that travel can be a force for good.
Tourism can be far more than just an economic driver. It is also a powerful tool for the protection of species and habitats. This is the message of Voice4Africa, an initiative that promotes sustainable travel and local value creation across the African continent. Especially in wildlife tourism, it becomes clear how closely conservation and socio-economic development are intertwined.
A remarkable example of this connection is the work of Dr. Jane Goodall, whose decades of research in Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park revolutionized the world’s understanding of chimpanzees and their habitats. Her approach — linking science, education, and community engagement — continues to shape sustainable tourism concepts across East Africa, from chimpanzee trekking in Tanzania to gorilla tourism in Rwanda and Uganda.
“Jane Goodall showed us that true conservation always begins with people — through education, awareness, and respect for life in all its forms,” says Hanna Kleber, Chairwoman of Voice4Africa. “Her legacy reminds us that tourism in Africa can be a powerful force for conservation when it is developed responsibly. Every journey based on understanding and connection supports local communities while helping to preserve species and ecosystems.”
Chimpanzee Research and Trekking in Tanzania: Supporting Conservation in Africa
In the 1960s, Jane Goodall began her groundbreaking work in Gombe Stream National Park in western Tanzania, becoming the first scientist to observe wild chimpanzees over decades in their natural environment.
Today, Gombe remains a place where travelers can walk in her footsteps — a small, remote natural paradise offering encounters with chimpanzees in the wild and insights into Goodall’s life’s work. At just about 35 square kilometers, it is Tanzania’s smallest national park but one of its most significant. Guided chimpanzee treks allow visitors to observe the descendants of the very primate groups Goodall once studied.
Other wildlife includes baboons, red colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, and more than 200 bird species. Access is only possible by boat from Kigoma — an adventure in itself. The park is committed to sustainable tourism that protects its delicate ecosystem and supports local communities through jobs and revenue-sharing. In this way, Goodall’s legacy continues in harmony between people and nature.
Nearby, in the Mahale Mountains National Park, this connection can also be experienced profoundly. Home to around 1,000 eastern chimpanzees — the largest known population in Africa — the park’s lush forested slopes and the scenic shores of Lake Tanganyika offer respectful wildlife encounters. It stands as a living example of how research, conservation, and responsible tourism are deeply interwoven.
Gorilla Tourism in East Africa
Jane Goodall’s influence inspired a generation of scientists and conservationists, including Dian Fossey, the pioneering gorilla researcher in Rwanda. Visitors to the Virunga National Park can still visit the site of Fossey’s Karisoke Research Center, where she is buried alongside several gorillas.
Though initially opposed to tourist visits, Fossey’s legacy now supports carefully managed, sustainable gorilla tourism. The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International combines conservation with community development, ensuring that local people benefit from protecting the gorillas and their habitats.
This responsible approach reflects Jane Goodall’s vision: conservation succeeds only when it benefits both nature and the people living alongside it. On this principle, modern gorilla tourism in Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo has become a model of ecological and social sustainability — and a living testament to Africa’s ability to protect its wildlife through tourism.
About Voice4Africa
VOICE4AFRICA is an initiative by the KLEBER GROUP, a full-service PR agency specializing in tourism with extensive expertise in Africa. In collaboration with African tour operators, the initiative promotes responsible tourism to Africa as a means of international understanding and a driver of sustainable development. Voice4Africa is a founding member of the business initiative ReThinking Africa and winner of the Corps Touristique Award for International Understanding.
Press contact:
Hanna Kleber und Julia Kleber | Geschäftsführung
Friederike Galuschky | Senior Consultant Communications
Hamburger Allee 45
60486 Frankfurt am Main
Tel: +49 (69) 71 91 36 0
E-Mail: hanna.kleber@klebergroup.com und julia.kleber@klebergroup.com /friederike.galuschky@klebergroup.com
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