Italy leads November tourist arrivals to Zanzibar

Unguja. Zanzibar welcomed 72,833 international tourists in November 2025, marking an 8.6 percent increase compared to the 67,049 arrivals recorded in November last year.

This is according to figures by the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism in collaboration with Office of the Chief Government Statistician released on December 8, 2025.

However, the latest tourism bulletin indicates a 16 percent drop from the 86,740 arrivals received in October 2025, reflecting the island’s cyclical tourism patterns as the high-season peak tapers.

European travellers continued to dominate the market, accounting for 73.1 percent of all arrivals in November.

Italy led with 12.2 percent of total arrivals, followed by Germany (7.7 percent) and France (7.4 percent) whereas Japan registered the lowest share at 0.1 percent.

Emerging markets — including Poland, India, Russia, Israel, China and Ukraine — registered a slight decline of 1.1 percent from October’s figures.

Air travel continues to serve as the dominant gateway for visitors entering Zanzibar, with 93.7 percent of all arrivals recorded through the airport in November. Of these, 54,263 passengers landed on international flights, while 13,960 arrived from domestic routes. By contrast, only 4,610 travellers entered the Isles by sea, a figure that includes just four tourists who came in aboard cruise liners.

Holidaymakers continue to drive the sector’s momentum, with 72,433 tourists (99.5 percent) visiting primarily for leisure.

Only 0.4 percent were visiting friends and relatives, while 0.1 percent arrived for other purposes.

The working-age group (15–64 years) comprised the vast majority, at 87.7 percent, followed by retirees (65+ years) at 8.2 percent, and children at 4.1 percent.

A total of 884,430 bed spaces were available during the month, with 601,266 beds sold, translating into a 68 percent occupancy rate.

Visitors stayed an average of 8 days, with 32.8 percent opting for a one-week stay.