Zanzibar records increased tourist arrivals
Wednesday August 11 2021
Tourists arrive in Tanzania. Zanzibar’s tourism sector is slowly recovering from the lows of 2020, recording 188,798 arrivals between January and June. PHOTO | FILE | NMG
Zanzibar’s tourism sector is slowly recovering from the lows of 2020, recording 188,798 arrivals between January and June, an increase of 19.8 percent compared with the corresponding months in 2020. Most of the arrivals were from the traditional European market.
“In June, Zanzibar recorded 20,416 tourist arrivals compared with 353 visitors in June, 2020,” according to official data. With vaccination under way both on the isles and the Tanzania mainland, more arrivals are expected despite the latest social and travel restrictions.
As the high tourism season gets under way, the Ministry of Tourism in Tanzania mainland confirmed arrivals of a group from Israel to Zanzibar. Thomas Mihayo, chairman of the Tanzania Tourist Board said it was encouraging that travellers were still choosing the country despite the pandemic.
According to a World Bank report, Zanzibar’s economy was severely impacted, with GDP growth slowing to an estimated 1.3 percent, driven by the collapse of the tourism industry.
Revenue collection
In June, Zanzibar collected revenues of Tsh69.1 billion ($29.893 million), which was higher than Tsh47.5 billion ($20.549 million) collected in the same period in 2020. Tourism revenue collected from hotel and restaurant levies, tour operator levy, revenue stamps, airport and seaport service charges, and road development fund and petroleum levy amounted to Tsh8.7 billion ($3.76 million).
The tourism sector’s recovery began slowly in Q4 2020 and by December arrivals (mainly from Europe) had reached almost 80 percent of their 2019 level. Tourists from Europe continue to dominate the Zanzibar market by accounting for 56.8 percent of the total visitors in June.