ZANZIBAR welcomed 100,216 visitors in January 2026, marking a 19.2 percent increase compared with 84,069 tourists during the same month in 2025.

Hassan Ameir Vuai, head of the statistics unit at the Zanzibar Tourism Commission, said over the weekend that despite the year-on-year increase, the number of visitors slightly declined by 0.5 percent compared with 100,729 arrivals in December 2025.

The majority of visitors, 69,652 (69.5 percent), came from Europe, making it the top source region for January arrivals. Africa followed with 16,589 tourists (16.6 percent), while Asia came third with 7,508 visitors (7.5 percent).

The Americas contributed 5,033 visitors (5.0 percent), and Oceania was the least numerous source region, accounting for 1,431 tourists (1.4 percent) he said, noting that the vast majority of tourists—92,580 (92.4 percent)—arrived by air while 7,636 visitors (7.6 percent) came by ship.

Gender distribution: data showed that men outnumbered women, with 58,501 visitors (58.4 percent) against 41,715 (41.6 percent) female visitors, where 99.5 percent of visitors came for leisure, 0.1 percent were visiting relatives or friends, and 0.4 percent travelled for business or conferences. The average length of stay in January 2026 was eight days, he explained.

Economist Dr Estyla Ngoma Hassan of Zanzibar University was persuaded that sustaining this growth rate in arrivals could further strengthen the island’s economy through increased tourism revenue.

Bakari Mussa Yussuf, ICT manager at the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation, reported that seven visitors suffered minor accidents during January and were treated at Lumumba Hospital, affirming that all patients have recovered and resumed their activities.

Said Rajab Hassan, an Immigration officer, said that the department was working with tourism stakeholders to ensure that visitors comply with local laws, regulations and procedures.

The latest figures reinforce Zanzibar’s position as a top leisure destination in East Africa, with European tourists remaining the dominant source market, with authorities encouraging sustainable tourism practices to balance economic benefits with environmental preservation, especially with rising visitor numbers.

Safety measures, proper immigration oversight and infrastructure readiness to manage the steady growth of international arrivals are needed to ensure that tourists enjoy a secure and memorable stay on the islands, he added.