Zanzibar Representatives want new strategies to boost tourism sector

Unguja. Members of the Zanzibar House of Representatives said that despite sustained government efforts to promote tourism, the sector has not delivered expected results calling for a review of strategies to expand the tourism market growth.

The members of the House of Representatives voiced their concern during the ongoing sessions held on Saturday, 23 May 2026, at Chukwani, Unguja in Zanzibar.

The House Representatives members were debating the estimates of revenue and expenditure for the Ministry of Tourism and Heritage for the 2026/27 financial year.

Speaking in the House, Wingwi Representative, Mr Kombo Mwinyi Shehe, ACT Wazalendo, said the government through the responsible ministry should review approaches used to determine whether they are producing meaningful outcomes or not.

“Significant efforts are being made to promote tourism, but there is a need to rethink the approaches because we are not seeing major results as is being discussed and promoted currently,” said Mr Shehe.

Wawi Representative, Mr Bakar Hamad Bakar, echoed similar sentiments saying countries with strong tourism industries depend heavily on cities and cultural heritage areas which Zanzibar should prioritise.

“These are the areas that add value without being firm. We must differentiate ourselves, so that tourists continue choosing Zanzibar,” he said.

He added that tourists will not come if there is nothing unique to attract them, stressing the need to strengthen service delivery so that visitors perceive added value and are encouraged to spend more during their stay.

Mr Bakar, further advised that promotion of Zanzibar’s attractions should be intensified through both local and international media to reach wider global markets.

He also noted that many countries use festivals to attract tourists, but Zanzibar still has few such events limiting its ability to meet expected targets.

The representative pointed to the shortage of conference facilities, saying it would remain difficult to attract international meetings without proper venues

“We cannot develop an international destination if we do not have conference halls” he said, noting that long-term plans to construct such facilities had been discussed, but not implemented, therefore, questioned when they would materialise.

Amani Representative, Mr Masoud Amour Masoud, said the ministry should strengthen tourism promotion through traditional cuisine noting that visitors are often interested in local foods, but presentation remains inadequate.

Pandani Representative, Prof Omar Fakih Hamad, ACT Wazalendo, said that although tourism is expected to contribute significantly to the economy, the budget allocated to the sector remains too small.

He said there is still no clear strategy to ensure sustained tourism growth, adding that efforts to preserve historical sites are not being implemented at the required scale.

He called for increased funding if the government intends to grow the sector, saying more unexplored attractions should be developed to boost revenue.

“There are still many areas that have not been promoted and have not been reached. They should be explored to accelerate tourism promotion and increase revenue” he said.

Pangawe Representative, Mr Ali Suleiman Ameir, CCM, said Zanzibar is still developing its tourism sector and therefore more effort is needed to achieve its targets.

He said there is still no clear domestic tourism strategy and urged the ministry to introduce a structured programme encouraging citizens to participate in tourism activities.

The representative suggested that at least one day be set aside for Zanzibaris to explore different parts of the islands to promote local tourism.