Unguja. Zanzibar recorded a monthly record of 124,481 international visitors in August, an 18 percent increase from the 105,506 arrivals recorded in the same month last year, official statistics show.
The figure was also 15.5 percent higher than the 107,801 visitors recorded in July, taking total international arrivals in the first eight months of 2026 to 633,228.
Data from the Office of the Chief Government Statistician (OCGS) shows that European markets remained the main source of visitors, accounting for 72,304 arrivals, or 58.1 percent of the August total.
Italy was the largest individual market, contributing 17,608 visitors, followed by Britain with 9,799, Germany with 8,576 and France with 8,482.
Italian arrivals more than doubled from July’s 8,678, while British visitors increased by 21.2 percent year-on-year.
Kenya was Zanzibar’s largest African source market, with 7,911 visitors, up 75.2 percent from August 2025. Overall, African arrivals rose to 30,495, accounting for 24.5 percent of the total, compared with 19,254 in August last year.
Several emerging markets also recorded strong growth. Arrivals from Russia rose 376 percent year-on-year to 4,298, while visitors from India increased 36.8 percent to 2,964. Chinese arrivals rose 12.1 percent to 3,653.
Combined arrivals from Russia, Poland, Ukraine, China, India and Israel reached 18,530, up 43.7 percent from August 2025.
The United States was among the markets to record a decline, with arrivals falling 29 percent to 5,755, while Australian visitors increased 82.5 percent to 1,436.
Air travel remained the dominant gateway, accounting for 114,553 arrivals, or 92 percent of the total. International flights accounted for 75,214 visitors, while 39,339 arrived on domestic flights from Tanzania Mainland.
Another 9,928 visitors entered through the seaport, including 9,892 ferry passengers and 36 cruise ship passengers.
Holidaymakers accounted for 99.8 percent of August arrivals, with 124,241 visitors travelling for leisure. The average intended length of stay was 7.6 nights.
The increase in arrivals was accompanied by strong demand for accommodation. Zanzibar had an estimated 1,021,853 available bed spaces during the month, of which 949,056 were sold, giving an estimated bed occupancy rate of 92.9 percent.
The figures point to continued growth in the tourism sector while also highlighting the importance of air connectivity and accommodation capacity as visitor numbers increase.
