Zanzibar tourism success offers blueprint for regional growth

Zanzibar received 62,125 or 73.9 per cent of the visitors from Europe, with Italy leading with 11,725 visitors on February,19.[Peter Muiruri]

A visitor to Zanzibar’s Abeid Amani Karume International Airport would mistake it for a global aviation hub. Apart from the visual appeal, the airport aprons are full of aviation giants such as Turkish Airlines, Qatar, Fly Dubai, Air France and several charters from Europe including TUI Airways.

These airlines are playing a key role in opening up the island to the world’s curious explorers. Through strategic collaborations with the local government, they are making it easier and more affordable for tourists to discover Zanzibar’s hidden gems, much to the chagrin of the more established regional players.