- Zanzibar President Mwinyi signs Zanzibar Sustainable Tourism Declaration
- Greener Zanzibar Tourism Strategy to boost island’s blue economy
- World Bank urges Zanzibar to increase local content in tourism
Zanzibar President Dr. Hussein A. Mwinyi has pledged to ensure a greener and more sustainable approach to tourism in Zanzibar following the signing of the Zanzibar Sustainable Tourism Declaration.
The declaration recognizes and commits Zanzibar to uphold global sustainable tourism standards as adopted by international institutions and world leaders. As part of the island’s Greener Zanzibar Tourism Strategy, the declaration sets Zanzibar on a path to embed sustainable strategies as part of its tourism growth plan.
President Mwinyi signed the declaration at the first Zanzibar Tourism Investment and Travel Exhibition (ZTITE) held on the island in February where he was the guest of honour.
The three-day event was held from the 9th to the 11th by the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism (ZCT) under the theme ‘Greener Zanzibar.’ Other participating government bodies included the Zanzibar Investment Promotion Authority and the Department of Museum & Antiquity in the Zanzibar Ministry of Tourism & Heritage.
The event brought together tourism professionals and stakeholders including investors and conservationists from both the public and private sectors. It offered a platform for round table discussions on trade, sustainable tourism practices, current sector trends, and the opportunity to network and share knowledge.
“Zanzibar always embraces change and a good example can be seen in the Greener Zanzibar Tourism Strategy which involves strategic investments, sustainable business practices, and responsible travel choices,” comments Tanzania Ambassador to South Korea, Togolani Edriss Mavura.
“In recognition of the importance and intricate part of digital development in creating a sustainable and green economy, Zanzibar is setting up its own Silicon Valley known as Silicon Zanzibar which will serve as a strategic home to innovation and tech companies,” added Ambassador Mavura.
Set up by the Zanzibar Ministry of Investment & Economic Development, Silicon Zanzibar is a public-private initiative that seeks to attract and relocate tech companies and workers from across Africa and beyond to the island of Zanzibar.
Working in partnership with leading African tech companies, Silicon Zanzibar is envisioned to transform the island into a leading hub for Pan-African tech companies.
The Silicon Zanzibar concept aligns perfectly with Zanzibar’s Blue Economy masterplan which aims to promote sustainable development. To achieve this goal, “…the tech sector will play a critical role in expanding the island’s economy while maintaining a low environmental footprint,” comments Daniel Yu, Founder & CEO of Wasoko, one Africa’s largest tech companies that is a founding partner of Silicon Zanzibar.
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Achievements of the Zanzibar Tourism Investment & Travel Exhibition
The Zanzibar Tourism Investment & Travel Exhibition (ZTITE), highlighted the importance of finding a balance between environmental, economic, and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development to preserve the tourism ecosystem.
“Additionally, it aims to raise awareness about Zanzibar’s green tourism aspirations and their implications for sustainable development,” added Yu.
This event brought together hoteliers, tour operators, and travel agents among other sector stakeholders. Panel discussions and interactive workshops gave participants a better understanding of how they can contribute towards making Zanzibar greener.
Among the key sponsors of the event was MTI Investment. As a major shareholder in Zanrec Plastics Company, MTI Investment upholds the mission to implement sustainable waste management practices.
Zanrec removes PET and other plastics from the island, and implements sustainable practices like making organic manure out of food waste,”
Zanzibar is quickly becoming a popular sustainable touristic destination due to its commitment to protecting the environment and local culture. As such, it is vital for companies that deal in potentially hazardous materials to take responsibility to uphold the Greener Zanzibar vision.
Through this vision, Zanzibar has committed itself to reduce plastic waste, implementing green energy solutions, and promoting eco-tourism practices in line with international standards.
Companies like Zanrec are setting a good example in taking responsibility not only for waste management but also taking the initiative to produce organic manure through the recycling of food waste.
ZTITE also held a tourism investment forum that was focused on promoting tourism business opportunities and inviting potential investors to Zanzibar. The panel discussions were conducted by industry experts who provided valuable insight covering key areas of investment such as taxation laws, financing options for hotel projects; legal regulations pertaining to foreign investments among other topics.
To attract foreign investors to Zanzibar, the government is implementing various incentives such as offering tax breaks and grants. Given its conducive business environment and the strategic geographical location that earns it its unique name as the ‘Spice Island’ Zanzibar is the ideal destination for foreign investors.
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Tourism can reduce poverty levels in Zanzibar
The World Bank Group report, Towards a More Inclusive Zanzibar Economy: Zanzibar Poverty Assessment 2022, commends Zanzibar on it’s economic growth but warns that an increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) does not necessarily mean improved welfare for the people or poverty reduction.
According to the report, Zanzbar’s GDP per capita grew at 2.9 percent per year from 2009 to 2019, however, consumption per adult grew by only 1.7 percent per year over the same period. This means that the ‘growth elasticity of poverty, which reflects the extent to which economic growth leads to poverty reduction, was considerably low in Zanzibar despite the overall increase in GDP,
The report further notes that; “Despite poverty declining by nine percentage points between 2009 and 2019, falling from 34.9 to 25.6 percent, the high population growth has resulted in the number of poor people remaining high in Zanzibar.”
The World Bank report calls for urgent action to make the most of available opportunities for economic growth through tourism development. The World Bank advises Zanzibar to invest in “…more inclusive growth through higher local content tourism, diversification of tourism products, and leveraging the ‘blue economy’ for improving household incomes more broadly.”
According to the World Bank, tourism contributes an estimated 27 percent to Zanzibar’s GDP, around 80 percent of its foreign exchange earnings, and is the source of employment for an estimated 60,000 people. It only makes sense that the island must implement policies that promote the sector’s development for both foreign investors as well as local content.
