Zanzibar Recorded 100,216 International Visitors in January 2026, Representing a 19.2% Increase Compared With 84,069 Visitors Recorded in January 2025, According to Data Released by the Zanzibar Office of the Chief Government Statistician (OCGS).
The figure represents a slight month-on-month decline of 0.5% compared with 100,729 visitors recorded in December 2025, indicating stable tourism performance despite seasonal fluctuations.
European tourists dominated arrivals, accounting for 69,652 visitors or 69.5% of total international visitors recorded during the month.
Italy remained the leading source market with 14,472 visitors, followed by France with 6,916 visitors and Poland with 6,705 visitors, confirming continued strong demand from key European tourism markets.
Visitors from emerging markets, including Poland, India, Russia, Israel, China, and Ukraine, collectively declined by 1.5% compared with the number recorded in December 2025.
Japanese visitors represented the smallest share of arrivals, accounting for 0.3% of total international visitors recorded in January 2026.
Airport entry remained the main gateway for international tourism, with 92,580 visitors, equivalent to 92.3% of total arrivals, entering Zanzibar through air transport.
Among these, 71,344 visitors arrived via international flights while 21,236 visitors entered through domestic flights connecting Zanzibar with Mainland Tanzania.
Seaport arrivals accounted for 7,636 visitors, including 581 cruise ship passengers and 7,055 ferry passengers travelling from Mainland Tanzania.
The average intended length of stay among international visitors in January 2026 was recorded at 8 nights, reflecting Zanzibar’s positioning as a medium-stay beach and leisure destination.
Tourism accommodation capacity data shows that Zanzibar had a total of 913,911 bed spaces available during January 2026, out of which 800,124 beds were sold, translating into a bed occupancy rate of 87.5%.
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