Top Chinese tour operators to strategize on boosting Z’bar tourism

ZANZIBAR: THREE major Chinese tour operators are set to visit Zanzibar to develop strategies aimed at increasing the influx of Chinese tourists to the islands, the House of Representatives was informed on Tuesday.

Minister of Tourism and Heritage Mudrik Ramadhan Soraga said that despite the high number of Chinese tourists globally, few currently visit Tanzania and Zanzibar. He assured that these tour operators are coming to the islands with plans to attract more visitors from China.

In response to a query from Mwanakwerekwe Representative Ameir Abdalla Ameir about the impact of the declining number of tourists from Italy, Minister Soraga noted that, despite the challenges posed by Covid-19, the number of Italian tourists has shown resilience.

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The minister highlighted that over the past five years, tourist arrivals from Italy have remained relatively stable despite the pandemic. Italy was the leading source of tourists to Zanzibar in 2019, with 61,315 visitors. Although this number dropped to 21,426 in 2020 and further decreased to 6,674 in 2021, there was a significant recovery in 2022 with 36,928 Italian visitors.

Last year, Italy moved up to the second position in tourist rankings, with 67,584 Italians visiting Zanzibar. Minister Soraga emphasized that Italy continues to be a crucial market for Zanzibar’s tourism sector.