Unguja. Zanzibar’s tourism sector ended 2025 on a high note, recording a record 917,167 international arrivals for the year, according to the latest Tourism Statistical Release for December 2025.
Data released by the Office of the Chief Government Statistician and the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism show that December alone attracted 100,729 international visitors, marking a 10 percent increase from 91,611 arrivals in December 2024 and a sharp 38.3 percent rise from November 2025.
The robust December performance capped a year of steady growth across almost all months, underlining tourism’s continuing role as a key pillar of Zanzibar’s economy.
European tourists continued to dominate Zanzibar’s source markets, accounting for 68.1 percent of all visitors in December 2025.
Italy was the single largest source market, contributing 14.4 percent of total arrivals, followed by France at 6.9 percent and Poland at 6.7 percent.
Other notable European contributors included Germany, the United Kingdom and Scandinavian countries.
At the lower end, Japanese visitors accounted for just 0.3 percent of total arrivals.
Beyond Europe, Africa contributed 18.5 percent of visitors in December, Asia 7.5 percent, the Americas 4.7 percent, and Oceania 1.3 percent.
The data also indicate growing momentum from emerging markets. Visitors from Poland, India, Russia, Israel, China, and Ukraine rose by a combined 32.1 percent compared with November 2025.
Israeli arrivals more than doubled compared with December 2024, while Indian and Chinese markets also recorded strong year-on-year growth.
Tourism analysts say the diversification of source markets is helping to shield the sector against fluctuations in traditional European markets.
Most visitors continued to arrive by air. Of the total December arrivals, 92,421 visitors, equivalent to 91.7 percent, entered through Zanzibar’s airports.
This included 71,185 on international flights and 21,236 on domestic flights from the Tanzania Mainland.
The remaining 8,308 visitors entered through seaports, mainly via ferries from the Mainland, while just 61 tourists arrived aboard cruise ships.
Tourism remained overwhelmingly leisure-driven, with 99.6 percent of visitors in December travelling for holidays.
Only 0.3 percent visited friends and relatives, while negligible numbers cited business or other purposes.
In terms of demographics, male visitors accounted for 56.7 percent of arrivals, while females made up 43.3 percent.
Both categories recorded strong growth compared with November, with male arrivals increasing by 41.6 percent and female arrivals by 34.2 percent.
Most visitors fell within the economically active age group of 15 to 64 years, accounting for 84.7 percent of total arrivals.
Children under 15 made up 9.1 percent, while those aged 65 and above accounted for 6.2 percent.
December visitors stayed an average of eight nights, with one-third spending exactly seven days on the islands. As a result, accommodation facilities experienced very high demand.
Out of more than 913,000 bed spaces available during the month, an estimated 815,143 were sold, translating into a bed occupancy rate of about 89 percent, one of the highest levels recorded in recent years.
With total arrivals rising from 736,755 in 2024 to 917,167 in 2025, Zanzibar’s tourism sector posted a year-on-year increase of nearly 25 percent.
Officials say the figures reflect sustained recovery and expansion following recent disruptions, supported by improved air connectivity, aggressive destination marketing, and growing interest from new source markets.
As Zanzibar enters 2026, authorities and industry players are optimistic that the strong momentum seen in December and throughout 2025 will continue, further strengthening the island’s position as one of Africa’s leading beach and cultural destinations.
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