DIMINISHING MAASAI TOURIST CULTURAL ATTRIBUTES IN TANZANIA: FORMAL EDUCATION TRAINING OR TOURISM EDUCATION? (By Lucy Mary Mboma -University of Dar es Salaam) Abstract The Maasai of Tanzania have maintained their cultural attributes over the centuries. Their cultural values, norms, practices, behaviour and artefacts attract tourist visits even today. They are even considered conservative and hard to change despite of formal education training government and non-governmental organisation’s efforts to introduce health care, water supply, religion and other community services. The cultural tourism in Maasai is disappearing due to persistent drought, new land redistribution and tenure system, formal education, exposure to urban culture, modern life style, food and multimedia. Maasai cultural attribute and practices are diminishing fast. The situation observes deficiency in formal education curricular not embedded with tourism and marketing skills. The results have implications to Maasai and other cultures disappearing as a result of formal education and environmental changes. The study recommends tourism content in educational curricular as long term measures and short course to tour operators, hoteliers, travel agents etc as short term measure to preserve Maasai culture. Establishing cultural centres depicting Maasai life cycle as Viking village in York town–in the United Kingdom is another possible measure to preserve Maasaai culture. Such move will create investments, employment and stimulate other service sectors. Key words: Cultural tourism, Maasai culture preservation, formal education and curricular changes, environmental changes and marketing skills.