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Zanzibar sees slight drop in tourist arrivals in September

ZANZIBAR welcomed 60,731 international visitors in September, marking a 16.0 per cent decrease from the 72,296 visitors recorded in August 2024. 

ZANZIBAR :  ZANZIBAR welcomed 60,731 international visitors in September, marking a 16.0 per cent decrease from the 72,296 visitors recorded in August 2024.

However, this figure represents a 12.8 per cent increase compared to September 2023, when 53,839 visitors arrived.

At a press briefing over the weekend, Mr Hassan Ameir Vuai, a research officer with the Zanzibar Tourism Commission, attributed the drop in arrivals to seasonal trends.

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“Typically, we see a decrease in the September-October period, followed by a rebound towards the end of the year,” he explained, noting that overall tourist arrivals remain robust.

Mr Vuai reported that European tourists comprised the majority of visitors, accounting for 70.1 per cent of the total. Italy led the market with 12.4 per cent of all arrivals, closely followed by Germany at 11.1 per cent. New Zealand represented the smallest segment, with less than 1 per cent (0.2 per cent) of total visitors.

According to the data, 54,343 visitors—89.4 per cent of the total—entered Zanzibar through the airport. This included 49,771 international arrivals and 4,572 domestic travellers. The remaining 6,388 visitors arrived by sea, with 29 coming via cruise ship and 6,359 using ferries from the mainland.

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The majority of tourists, 59,981 or 98.8 per cent, visited Zanzibar for leisure, while 0.4 per cent came to see friends and relatives, and 0.8 per cent had other purposes.

In terms of gender, 29,129 visitors (48.0 per cent) were male and 31,602 (52.0 per cent) were female, reflecting decreases of 16.8 per cent and 15.2 per cent, respectively, compared to August.

By age group, 1,768 visitors (2.9 per cent) were under 15 years old, 55,108 visitors (90.7 per cent) were aged 15 to 64, and 3,855 visitors (6.4 per cent) were 65 and older.

Additionally, visitors from emerging markets, including Poland, India, Russia, Israel, China, and Ukraine, saw a slight increase of 5.9 per cent compared to September 2023.

Mr Vuai noted that the average intended length of stay for visitors in September was eight nights. During the month, 318,390 of the 779,216 available bed spaces were occupied, resulting in a bed occupancy rate of 40.9 per cent.

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