Zanzibar Sees Slight Decline in Tourism, Aims to Diversify Visitor Experience
Zanzibar recorded 82,750 tourists in February 2025, marking a 1.6 percent decrease from January’s visitor numbers. Despite the slight drop, the island continues to strengthen its tourism strategy with ambitious plans for sector expansion.
European travelers dominated the tourist landscape, accounting for 77.1 percent of total visitors, with 63,726 arrivals. Italy led the European market with 10,977 tourists, followed by France with 9,340 and Poland with 8,242 visitors.
Tourism experts are calling for strategic diversification beyond traditional beach and cultural attractions. The focus is on introducing innovative tourism experiences including food tourism, sports tourism, and emerging sectors like halal and health tourism.
Key tourism initiatives include:
– Hosting traditional cuisine exhibitions
– Developing new tourism products
– Expanding conference and event offerings
– Exploring health tourism with planned medical infrastructure
The primary challenge remains breaking the seasonal tourism pattern. Experts recommend creating year-round attractions that engage visitors and encourage longer stays.
With tourism contributing over 30 percent of the national GDP, Zanzibar is actively working to enhance
