ARUSHA, June 7 -- TANZANIA is betting that a major investment in tourism infrastructure across its vast southern safari circuit will help unlock economic growth, attract private investment and draw more international visitors to a tourism circuit long overshadowed by the countrys famous northern route.

The government says it has spent 146.6bn Tanzanian shillings ($56m) upgrading roads, airstrips, accommodation and visitor facilities in some of the countrys largest wildlife reserves, including Nyerere, Ruaha and Mikumi national parks.

The programme, funded through a partnership between the Tanzanian government and the World Bank under the Resilient Natural Resources Management for Tourism and Growth (REGROW) project, represents one of th...