ORIGINAL DATA
East Africa Tourism Statistics: Wildlife, Parks and Costs
Every number on this page is a confirmed fact from our database, backed by at least two independent sources. Each row shows its own check date. Oldest figure checked 27 June 2026. Free to cite with a link back.
Key figures at a glance
- 206 whale sharks documented at Mafia Island, up from about 100 in 2012
- 1,063 mountain gorillas worldwide (2018 census)
- 1,059 black rhinos in Kenya by 2024
- 502,917–533,137 wildebeest counted by Oxford satellite survey in August 2023, against a long-standing estimate of 1.3 to 1.5 million
- $70 per day conservation fee per non-East African adult in Serengeti and Nyerere (2023/24 tariff)
How many wildebeest take part in the Great Migration?
Between 324,000 and 1.5 million, depending on the method. The long-standing aerial-survey estimate is 1.3 to 1.5 million; a 2025 Oxford satellite study counted far fewer.
| Statistic | Value | Context | Sources (last checked) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional aerial-survey estimate | 1.3–1.5 million | Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, long-standing estimate | Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) |
| AI satellite count, August 2022 | 324,202–337,926 | University of Oxford, PNAS Nexus, 9 Sept 2025 | University of OxfordPNAS Nexus (Oxford University Press) |
| AI satellite count, August 2023 | 502,917–533,137 | University of Oxford, PNAS Nexus, 9 Sept 2025 | University of OxfordPNAS Nexus (Oxford University Press) |
How many whale sharks visit Mafia Island?
The documented Mafia Island whale shark population more than doubled from about 100 in 2012 to 206 by December 2019, and 72% of research trips in the 2012-13 season saw at least one.
| Statistic | Value | Context | Sources (last checked) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Documented individuals, 2012 | ~100 | Mafia Island, Tanzania | WWFMarine Megafauna Foundation |
| Documented individuals, December 2017 | 180 | Mafia Island, Tanzania | WWFMarine Megafauna Foundation |
| Documented individuals, December 2019 | 206 | Mafia Island, Tanzania | WWFMarine Megafauna Foundation |
| Research trips that saw whale sharks | 72% | 103 trips, October 2012 to March 2013 (average 4.8 sharks per trip) | ResearchGateMarine Megafauna Foundation |
| Average sharks seen per trip | 4.7 | 338 trips, 2012 to 2018 (Marine Megafauna Foundation) | ResearchGateMarine Megafauna Foundation |
How many lions, elephants, rhinos and gorillas live in East Africa?
Counts differ by species and survey year; each row states its area and date. Mountain gorillas number 1,063 worldwide, and Kenya holds 1,059 black rhinos.
| Statistic | Value | Context | Sources (last checked) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lions, Serengeti-Mara ecosystem | 3,000+ | Estimate | IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesFrankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) — Serengeti |
| Leopards, Serengeti ecosystem | ~1,000 | Estimate | University of IllinoisResearchGateSciSpace |
| Elephants, Nyerere-Selous-Mikumi ecosystem | 20,006 ± 1,793 | 2022 aerial census | Frankfurt Zoological SocietySafari Bookings |
| Black rhinos, Kenya | 1,059 | By 2024 | Save the Rhino InternationalSheldrick Wildlife TrustWWF |
| Black rhinos, all of Africa | 6,487 | End of 2022 (up 4.2% from 2021) | IUCNHelping RhinosSave the Rhino International |
| Mountain gorillas, worldwide | 1,063 | 2018 census, most recent comprehensive survey | IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesGorilla Doctors |
| African wild dogs, worldwide | ~6,600 adults | 39 subpopulations, 2020 assessment | IUCNWildlife ACT |
| Zanzibar red colobus, Unguja Island | 5,862 | 342 groups, Oryx, December 2017 | Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)Rainforest Trust |
| Bottlenose dolphins, Menai Bay | 136 | 2002 mark-recapture estimate (95% CI 124-172) | ResearchGatePLOS One |
| Large mammals, Ngorongoro Crater | ~25,000 | Crater floor of 260 km² | Tanzania National Parks AuthorityIUCN Red List of Threatened Species |
How much does it cost to visit Tanzania and Zanzibar?
Entry and park costs are fixed by government tariffs, in US dollars. Park fees below are the 2023/24 tariff period; confirm the current tariff with TANAPA before booking.
| Statistic | Value | Context | Sources (last checked) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tanzania tourist visa, EU and UK citizens | $50 | Single entry, up to 90 days | Tanzania eVisa portal and Immigration Department guidanceTanzania Immigration DepartmentCIBTvisas |
| Tanzania tourist visa, US citizens | $100 | Multiple entry, valid one year | Tanzania Immigration Department, Visa FeesU.S. EmbassyTravelDocs |
| Zanzibar mandatory inbound insurance | $44 adult / $22 child | Required since October 2024; free under 3 | Visit Zanzibar — Official Tourism PortalUK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Travel Advice |
| Mainland Tanzania inbound travel insurance | Required from 1 October 2026 | Foreign visitors entering the Mainland, subject to exemptions; NIC is the designated insurer (GN 256 of 2026). Premium not yet officially confirmed, so not shown | National Insurance Corporation of Tanzania (designated insurer), official noticeClyde & Co, Tanzania Introduces Mandatory Inbound Travel Insurance |
| Zanzibar Marine Conservation Area entry | $10 adult / $5 child | Non-East African visitors, from 1 September 2025 | ATTABIOFIN |
| Serengeti and Nyerere conservation fee | $70 per day | Per non-East African adult, 2023/24 tariff | Tanzania Tourist BoardVacation SafarisTanzania National Parks |
| Ngorongoro Conservation Area fee | $70.80 per day | Per non-East African adult, 2023/24 tariff | Tanzania Tourist BoardVacation SafarisTanzania National Parks |
| Ngorongoro Crater service fee | ~$295 per vehicle | Per vehicle, not per person, for crater descent | Tanzania Tourist BoardVacation SafarisTanzania National Parks |
How many tourists visit Tanzania and Kenya each year?
This page does not yet publish national tourist-arrival or tourism-revenue totals. We list a figure only when two independent sources confirm it, and arrivals and revenue are not in our confirmed database yet. Until they are, use the national statistics offices directly: Tanzania's National Bureau of Statistics, the Zanzibar Office of the Chief Government Statistician, and Kenya's Tourism Research Institute.
Methodology and refresh schedule
- Inclusion rule: a statistic appears only if its fact has status "confirmed" in our database, meaning two or more independent sources. Single-source figures are excluded.
- Check dates: per-row dates run from 27 June 2026 to 8 October 2026. A row is only as fresh as its own check; we do not show a single page-wide date.
- Refresh: reviewed quarterly. The page, the CSV and the dataset metadata are regenerated from the fact database at every site build, so a re-verified fact updates all three at once.
- Disputed numbers: where sources disagree, as with the Serengeti wildebeest population, both figures are shown with their methods.
- Citing: please cite as "Beyond Paradise Adventures, East Africa Tourism Statistics, 8 October 2026" and link to this page. Data download: CSV.
- Independence: no operator or lodge pays for inclusion. See the editorial policy.