Zanzibar records strong tourism growth in September
ZANZIBAR: ZANZIBAR welcomed 84,154 visitors in September 2025, marking a robust increase of 38.6 per cent compared to the 60,731 tourists recorded in the same month last year, according to the Office of the Chief Government Statistician (OCGS).
According to OCGS’s Communication Officer, Ms Salama Njani, the latest figures indicate that despite a slight seasonal dip from August’s 105,506 arrivals, Zanzibar’s tourism industry continues to perform strongly, with Europe remaining the leading source market.
Out of all arrivals, 55,780 tourists (66.3 per cent) came from Europe, reaffirming the continent’s dominance in Zanzibar’s visitor market followed with 13,294 visitors (15.8 per cent) from African countries while Asia ranked third with 9,026 arrivals (10.7 per cent).
Oceania contributed 906 tourists, accounting for just 1.1 per cent of the total. Italy led the European market with 8,889 visitors (10.6 per cent), followed closely by Germany (8,698; 10.3 per cent) and the United Kingdom (7,987; 9.5 per cent).
France and Poland ranked fourth and fifth with 5,940 (7.1 per cent) and 4,447 visitors (5.3 per cent), respectively.
Regarding entry points, 77,151 visitors (91.7 per cent) arrived via airports, while 7,003 tourists (8.3 per cent) entered through seaports.
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The report also shows that 38,077 tourists (45.2 per cent) were female, and 46,077 (54.8 per cent) were male.
Nearly all visitors (99 per cent) travelled for leisure and holiday purposes, while 0.8 per cent visited friends and relatives, and 0.2 per cent came for business, conferences or meetings.
Tourists stayed an average of eight nights in Zanzibar during the month.
Tourism experts say the sustained growth reflects Zanzibar’s strong recovery efforts and enhanced global marketing.
The government continues to promote new attractions across the islands, with recent campaigns positioning Zanzibar as a top destination for both cultural and marine tourism.
