Zanzibar targets three million trees annually through tourism

ZANZIBAR: ZANZIBAR is embarking on an ambitious green drive to plant three million trees over the next three years, in a tourism conservation partnership designed to restore the islands’ natural environment while turning visitors into active participants in safeguarding the ecosystems that make the archipelago a sought-after destination.

The initiative, bringing together the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism (ZCT) and OTESHA Foundation, targets one million trees annually through a technology-driven programme that will allow tourists to contribute to conservation and follow the growth of trees they sponsor, even after returning home.

Under the arrangement, tourists and other visitors will be able to scan QR codes displayed at hotels, the airport and seaports to make contributions towards tree planting.

Each sponsored tree will be registered and tracked through satellite-based Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, enabling contributors to identify its location and monitor its growth from anywhere in the world.

Explaining the initiative after the signing of the agreement last week, OTESHA Foundation’s Head of Distribution and Partnerships, Mr Joseph Singano said the digital tracking system would allow visitors to maintain a lasting connection with the trees they help plant, long after their stay in Zanzibar.

“After a tree is planted in designated forest conservation or heritage areas, it is entered into the GPS system and assigned a specific location record,” he said.

Mr Singano said sponsors would receive regular mobile phone updates on the progress of their trees, including information on watering and growth.

He added that OTESHA would oversee tree maintenance for three years to improve survival rates, while providing ZCT with a digital dashboard to track the programme’s implementation.

ZCT Executive Secretary, Mr Arif Abbas Manji, said the partnership aligned with Zanzibar’s 2023 Sustainable Tourism Resolution, which seeks to ensure that the expansion of tourism goes hand in hand with environmental conservation.

“Zanzibar’s natural beauty is its main attraction to tourists, and planting these one million trees will help restore natural vegetation while strengthening emerging tourism products such as wellness tourism and birdwatching,” he said.

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For ZCT Marketing Director, Ms Rahma Sanya, the initiative also presents an innovative opportunity to market Zanzibar by giving visitors a personal stake in the islands’ environmental future.

“When a visitor plants a tree and gives it their name, they establish an emotional bond with Zanzibar’s land. We believe this is an effective marketing strategy that will encourage tourists to return years later, perhaps with their families or children, to see how their trees have grown,” she said.

Ms Sanya added that the initiative would be integrated into spice tourism tours, creating another attraction for visitors while opening up employment opportunities for local communities.

The programme is expected to generate more than 10,000 jobs for people involved in tree maintenance.

Beyond restoring vegetation, the three-year partnership is expected to deepen community participation in conservation and leave a lasting environmental legacy for future generations.