Zanzibar records 105,506 tourist arrivals in August

European tourists dominated the market, accounting for 61.5 percent of all arrivals. Italy led the pack with 16,507 visitors, or 15.6 percent of the total, followed by the United Kingdom with 7.7 percent. By contrast, New Zealand registered the fewest visitors at 0.2 percent.

Kenya and South Africa continued to dominate African tourist arrivals to Zanzibar in August 2025, maintaining their positions as the top two source markets from the continent.

Kenya accounted for 4,515 visitors, representing 4.3 percent of all international arrivals, a remarkable 78.9 percent increase compared with the same month last year.

South Africa followed closely with 2,802 visitors, making up 2.7 percent of arrivals, though this marked a 35.7 percent drop year-on-year.

Despite the contrasting trends, the two countries remain Zanzibar’s key African markets, together contributing more than a third of all arrivals from the continent.

The report further shows that 95,295 visitors (90 percent) entered Zanzibar by air, of whom 68,331 arrived on international flights and 26,964 via domestic flights. The remaining 10,211 visitors travelled by ocean from mainland Tanzania.

Leisure remained the primary driver of travel, with 99.2 percent of arrivals (104,683 visitors) citing holidays as their purpose of visit. Only 0.5 percent came to visit friends and relatives, while 0.3 percent visited for other reasons.

Gender distribution indicates that 56.3 percent of visitors were male (59,397) and 43.7 percent female (46,109). Compared with July 2025, the number of male tourists rose by 11.7 percent while female arrivals increased by 2 percent.

By age group, the bulk of visitors — 86.3 percent (91,102) — fell within the working-age bracket of 15–64 years. Children under 15 years accounted for 9.1 percent (9,606), while retirees aged 65 and above made up 4.5 percent (4,798) of total arrivals.

Emerging markets are also showing growth. Arrivals from Poland, India, Russia, Israel, China, and Ukraine collectively increased by 5.6 percent compared with July 2025.

Accommodation performance remained strong, with 809,186 bed spaces available during the month. An estimated 913,911 beds were sold, translating into an 88.5 percent occupancy rate. The average intended length of stay was 8.2 days, with most tourists (24.6 percent) staying for about a week.

The release highlights Italy, the UK, Germany, France, and the US as Zanzibar’s top source markets in August 2025, reflecting a strong recovery in long-haul travel and robust demand from Europe and North America.

Tourism continues to play a central role in Zanzibar’s economy, with officials viewing the sustained growth as an opportunity to strengthen linkages with local industries, boost employment, and increase foreign exchange earnings.