Zanzibar named top travel destination for 2023 by Travelers Worldwide Magazine
ZANZIBAR HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A TOP TRAVEL DESTINATION FOR 2023 BY TRAVELERS WORLDWIDE MAGAZINE, WITH THE UNIQUE BLEND OF ARAB, SWAHILI, INDIAN, AND PORTUGUESE INFLUENCES IN ITS HISTORY BEING HIGHLIGHTED AS A MUST-VISIT FOR THE NEW YEAR.
Zanzibar has been recognized as a top travel destination for 2023 by Travelers Worldwide Magazine, which listed the island as one of the 15 best travel destinations in Africa. The magazine attributed the recognition to the island’s unique history, which features a blend of Arab, Swahili, Indian, and Portuguese influences. According to the magazine, tourists can explore historical buildings or get lost in ancient pathways while on a walk around Stone Town. They can also enjoy the many resorts and restaurants on the other side of the island at places like Paje Beach. However, analysts are questioning whether the archipelago is ready to handle the influx of tourists, especially since the number of arrivals is set to hit pre-Covid days.
Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of tourism and antiquities Ms. Fatma Khamis said that the island has positioned itself as an all-year-round destination, which has led to an increase of 3000 beds that can serve up to 6000 visitors, given the number of hotels that have opened in the past two years. However, more needs to be done to upgrade hotels to meet East Africa standardization. Furthermore, the ministry plans to launch a digital program in the first quarter of 2023 that will enable them to capture the exact statistics of the number of visitors entering Zanzibar in real-time.
Zanzibar Tourism Investors (Zati) chairman Rahim Bhaloo attributed the recognition that Tanzania and Zanzibar are receiving to the purposeful and strategic effort being put in by stakeholders, such as the Ministry of Tourism, TTB, and ZCT, to market Zanzibar as a destination into new strategic markets with spending power capacity. He added that with so much commitment by the government to improve infrastructure such as roads, electricity, water supply, airports, and seaports, Zanzibar’s position as a priority destination will strengthen further. However, there is still work to do to improve accessibility to visitors and the visa process and increase the number of international scheduled flights to make Tanzania and Zanzibar an all-year-round tourist destination.
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