Zanzibar International Tourist Arrivals Rise 18% to 124,481 in August 2026 as Estimated Bed Occupancy Reaches 92.9%

Zanzibar recorded 124,481 international visitor arrivals in August 2026, an increase of 18% from the 105,506 visitors registered in August 2025.

The August total was also 15.5% higher than the 107,801 visitors recorded in July 2026, according to the Tourism Statistical Release issued by the Office of the Chief Government Statistician (OCGS) on 8 September 2026.

The report provides data on visitor nationalities, entry points, purpose of travel, sex and age distribution, intended length of stay, visitor nights and estimated accommodation occupancy.

Regional Source Markets

Europe remained Zanzibar’s largest regional source market in August 2026, accounting for 72,304 visitors or 58.1% of total arrivals.

European arrivals increased by 19% from 60,754 in July 2026 and by 11% from 64,861 in August 2025.

Italy was the largest individual source market, with 17,608 visitors representing 14.1% of all arrivals.

Italian arrivals increased by 102.9% from 8,678 in July 2026 and by 6.7% from 16,507 in August 2025.

The United Kingdom was the second-largest source market, supplying 9,799 visitors or 7.9% of the total, followed by Germany with 8,576 visitors or 6.9%, France with 8,482 or 6.8%, and Kenya with 7,911 or 6.4%.

Other leading markets included Poland with 5,162 visitors, Russia with 4,298, the United States with 3,974, China with 3,653, the Netherlands with 3,233, South Africa with 3,103 and India with 2,964.

Africa supplied 30,495 visitors, representing 24.5% of total arrivals in August 2026.

Arrivals from African markets increased by 14.9% from July 2026 and by 58.4% from August 2025, the highest annual growth recorded among the five regional markets.

Kenyan arrivals increased by 75.2% from 4,515 in August 2025, while arrivals from other African countries rose by 64.6% to 18,801.

Asia accounted for 14,359 visitors or 11.5% of the total, representing increases of 10.4% from July 2026 and 17.3% from August 2025.

The Americas supplied 5,755 visitors or 4.6% of total arrivals, down by 9.6% from July 2026 and 29% from August 2025.

Arrivals from the United States declined by 26.1% year-on-year to 3,974, while Canadian arrivals fell by 29.5% to 949.

Oceania accounted for 1,535 visitors or 1.2% of total arrivals, an increase of 35.7% from July 2026 and 48.3% from August 2025.

Australia supplied 1,436 visitors, an annual increase of 82.5%, while New Zealand accounted for 99 visitors or 0.08% of total arrivals.

Emerging Source Markets

Zanzibar received 18,530 visitors from the six emerging markets of Poland, China, India, Israel, Russia and Ukraine in August 2026.

The combined total increased by 43.7% from 12,895 in August 2025 and by 20.1% from 15,425 in July 2026.

Russia recorded the largest annual increase among these markets, with arrivals rising by 376% from 903 in August 2025 to 4,298 in August 2026.

Russian arrivals also increased by 54.3% from the 2,785 visitors registered in July 2026.

Arrivals from India increased by 36.8% year-on-year to 2,964, followed by Israel with an increase of 27.1% to 2,156, Poland with 21.8% to 5,162 and China with 12.1% to 3,653.

Ukraine supplied 297 visitors, representing a decline of 53% from August 2025 but an increase of 20.7% from July 2026.

Visitor Entry Points

A total of 114,553 visitors entered Zanzibar through airports in August 2026, equivalent to 92% of all international arrivals.

Of these, 75,214 arrived on international flights directly from destinations outside Tanzania, while 39,339 travelled on domestic flights through Tanzania Mainland.

The remaining 9,928 visitors entered through seaports, including 9,892 who travelled by ferry from Tanzania Mainland and 36 who arrived on cruise ships.

European visitors accounted for 69,347 airport arrivals and 2,957 seaport arrivals.

African markets generated 25,833 airport arrivals and 4,662 seaport arrivals, including 3,476 visitors from African countries other than Kenya, South Africa and Egypt who entered by ferry.

All 36 cruise ship passengers recorded during the month were classified within the other Asian markets category.

Purpose of Visit

Holiday travel accounted for 124,241 visitors or 99.8% of all international arrivals in August 2026.

The remaining visitors included 49 people visiting friends and relatives, 31 travelling for business and conferences, 16 entering for temporary employment and 144 travelling for other purposes.

No visitors were recorded as seeking employment or travelling in transit.

European markets accounted for 72,157 holiday visitors, followed by Africa with 30,457, Asia with 14,326, the Americas with 5,733 and Oceania with 1,535.

Visitor Distribution by Sex

Zanzibar received 71,829 male visitors in August 2026, representing 57.7% of total arrivals, and 52,652 female visitors, representing 42.3%.

The number of male visitors increased by 9.1% from 65,822 in July 2026, while female arrivals rose by 25.4% from 41,979.

Europe supplied 42,387 male and 29,917 female visitors, while Africa supplied 16,058 male and 14,437 female visitors.

Female arrivals exceeded male arrivals among visitors from Kenya, South Africa, Canada, other American markets, Scandinavia, Belgium, Ukraine and the Czech Republic.

Visitor Age Distribution

A total of 107,064 visitors, equivalent to 86% of arrivals, were aged between 15 and 64 years.

Children aged below 15 accounted for 11,915 visitors or 9.6%, while 5,502 visitors or 4.4% were aged 65 years and above.

Europe accounted for 63,220 visitors aged between 15 and 64, 6,085 children and 2,999 visitors aged 65 and above.

Africa supplied 25,784 working-age visitors, 3,936 children and 775 visitors aged 65 and above.

Visitors from the Americas included 638 people aged 65 and above, while Oceania recorded 444 visitors in this age group out of its total of 1,535 arrivals.

Intended Length of Stay

International visitors intended to spend a combined 949,056 nights in Zanzibar during August 2026, resulting in an overall average intended stay of 7.6 nights.

The average intended stay was 7.4 nights among male visitors and 8 nights among female visitors.

Seven-day stays were the most common, accounting for 32,113 visitors or 25.8% of arrivals and generating 224,791 visitor nights.

Eight-day stays accounted for 24,128 visitors or 19.4% and generated 193,024 nights, while five-day stays accounted for 23,825 visitors or 19.1% and generated 119,125 nights.

These three durations together accounted for 80,066 visitors or 64.3% of all international arrivals recorded during the month.

A further 12,143 visitors, representing 9.8% of arrivals, intended to stay for six days, while 5,827 visitors or 4.7% planned stays of 10 days.

Accommodation Capacity and Bed Occupancy

Zanzibar had 1,021,853 available bed spaces during August 2026, according to the report.

The estimated 949,056 visitor nights sold during the month produced an estimated bed occupancy rate of 92.9%.

The calculation was based on the intended length of stay declared by international visitors and the number of available bed spaces during the month.

Zanzibar Visitor Arrivals in the First Half of 2026

Zanzibar received 400,946 international visitors during the first six months of 2026, an increase of 8.7% from 368,835 in the corresponding period of 2025.

First-quarter arrivals increased by 11% from 227,164 in 2025 to 252,636 in 2026.

The first-quarter total comprised 100,216 visitors in January, 86,839 in February and 65,581 in March.

January recorded the highest annual growth during the first half, with arrivals increasing by 19.2% from 84,069 in January 2025.

February arrivals increased by 4.9% from 82,750, while March arrivals rose by 8.7% from 60,345.

Second-quarter arrivals increased by 4.7% from 141,671 in 2025 to 148,310 in 2026.

Zanzibar received 38,554 visitors in April 2026, representing annual growth of 3.8%, followed by 40,151 in May, up 8.4%, and 69,605 in June, up 3.1%.

Arrivals subsequently increased to 107,801 in July and 124,481 in August, bringing the cumulative total for January through August 2026 to 633,228.

The eight-month total was 10.6% higher than the 572,711 visitors recorded during the corresponding period of 2025.

Zanzibar Visitor Arrivals in 2025

Zanzibar received 917,167 international visitors in 2025, an increase of 24.5% from 736,755 in 2024.

Annual international arrivals increased from 260,644 in 2020 to 394,185 in 2021, 548,503 in 2022, 638,498 in 2023 and 736,755 in 2024 before reaching 917,167 in 2025.

Monthly arrivals exceeded 100,000 for the first time in the statistical series presented in the report when Zanzibar received 105,506 visitors in August 2025, followed by 100,729 in December 2025.

The 124,481 visitors received in August 2026 were the highest monthly total reported in the series covering January 2020 through August 2026.

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SEO excerpt: Zanzibar received 124,481 international visitors in August 2026, an increase of 18% from August 2025 and 15.5% from July 2026. Europe supplied 58.1% of arrivals, while the estimated bed occupancy rate reached 92.9%.