The sun drenched isles of Zanzibar are riding an unprecedented tourism wave, and the numbers arriving from Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Poland and Kenya show no sign of easing. As new records fall almost month after month, major airlines including Emirates, Etihad, Air France and Qatar Airways are positioning themselves for an extraordinary surge in traffic to the Tanzanian archipelago and its Indian Ocean neighbors. For European and African travelers alike, Zanzibar has rapidly moved from exotic dream to must visit reality, with aviation capacity and destination infrastructure scrambling to keep pace.
Record Arrivals Turn Zanzibar Into a Year Round Success Story
Official statistics from Zanzibar’s tourism authorities confirm what hoteliers and beach operators have been reporting for months. International arrivals have climbed steeply, with the islands recording around three quarters of a million visitors in 2024, a year on year increase of more than 15 percent compared with 2023. That growth has accelerated through 2025, culminating in 100,739 international visitors in December alone, a 10 percent rise on December the previous year and a strong rebound from the shoulder season months.
Europe remains firmly at the heart of this boom. Across 2024, European travelers accounted for more than 70 percent of all international arrivals to Zanzibar, roughly 528,000 visitors. Monthly data through 2025 underline that dominance. In December, almost 69,000 of the visitors came from Europe, while in earlier months the continent regularly contributed between two thirds and three quarters of all arrivals. The pattern is clear: Zanzibar has cemented itself as one of the Indian Ocean’s hottest tickets for European holidaymakers.
The surge has been broad based rather than dependent on a single high season spike. Zanzibar recorded over 105,000 visitors in August 2025, nearly 87,000 in October and more than 84,000 in September, all sizeable increases on the same months a year earlier. Tourism authorities attribute this to a combination of targeted marketing, improved air links, political stability and a widening product range that now stretches from boutique heritage hotels in Stone Town to family friendly resorts and high end private island retreats.
Italy, Germany, France, the UK and Poland: Europe’s Big Five for Zanzibar
Within Europe, a handful of countries have emerged as powerhouses for Zanzibar’s tourism expansion. Italy sits at the top of that list. Month after month, Italian travelers provide the largest single share of visitors to the archipelago. In several peak months of 2025, Italy alone has accounted for between 10 and 16 percent of total arrivals, with more than 16,000 Italians visiting in August and close to 9,000 in October. Italian tour operators have been among the most aggressive in promoting Zanzibar as a winter sun destination to rival the Caribbean and the Maldives.
Germany and France are close behind. In some mid season months, Germany has led the pack, contributing close to one in ten visitors, while France consistently ranks in the top three or four European markets. German and French travelers have been particularly drawn by Zanzibar’s combination of reliable tropical weather, competitive pricing compared with other long haul beach destinations, and the ability to combine a week at the beach with a mainland Tanzania safari in the Serengeti or Ngorongoro.
The United Kingdom, though not named in the headline group, also features strongly in the official statistics, often ranking among the top five source markets during peak months. However, it is Poland that has surprised many industry analysts. Once a niche contributor, Poland has rapidly moved into the front line of European source markets for Zanzibar, at times ranking second only to Italy. In some recent months, more than 8,000 Polish visitors have arrived, a remarkable figure driven by charter and low cost long haul services catering to an increasingly adventurous middle class.
Kenya and Regional Neighbors Power East Africa’s Beach Circuit
While European visitors dominate numerically, Zanzibar’s African neighbors are becoming increasingly important. Kenya stands out as a key regional source market, sending more than 23,000 visitors in 2024 and maintaining strong growth into 2025. For Kenyan travelers, Zanzibar offers a nearby yet distinctly different escape from the mainland coast, with Stone Town’s Swahili heritage, a growing range of boutique hotels and easy access via short flights from Nairobi and Mombasa.
Kenyan tour operators report that Zanzibar is now commonly packaged together with Amboseli or Maasai Mara safaris, allowing regional travelers to enjoy a safari and beach holiday in a single itinerary without leaving East Africa. The growing African middle class, greater disposable income and the convenience of regional carriers have all played a role in this shift, giving Zanzibar a more diversified demand base that is less vulnerable to swings in European economies alone.
Other African markets are following a similar trajectory. South Africa has been one of the strongest contributors, and travelers from across the continent are benefiting from improved connectivity via Gulf hubs. This intra African travel growth is significant for Zanzibar’s resilience, smoothing seasonality and broadening the cultural mix of visitors on the islands’ beaches and in its historic streets.
Gulf Giants and European Carriers Race to Add Capacity
The dramatic rise in tourist numbers has not happened in isolation. Airlines have been racing to add capacity into Zanzibar and the wider Tanzanian network, with Gulf carriers and European legacy airlines at the forefront. Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways now market Tanzania as a key leisure pillar in their African portfolios, using their global hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha to funnel passengers from Italy, the UK, Germany, France, Poland and beyond.
Qatar Airways, which has been on an expansion drive across its global network, has increased frequencies to several European cities that are also leading source markets for Zanzibar, including Berlin and Frankfurt. Additional capacity on those routes feeds into connections to Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar, giving German and Polish travelers more one stop options. The airline’s drive to offer more seats from secondary European cities, supported by alliances and codeshare partnerships, is expected to channel even more traffic into East Africa’s beaches in the coming seasons.
Although Etihad’s Tanzania schedule remains more limited than its Gulf rivals, the Abu Dhabi based airline has been rebuilding capacity into East Africa and strengthening its codeshare arrangements with European partners. This effectively enlarges the funnel from markets such as France, Germany and the UK into the Tanzanian archipelago. At the same time, Emirates continues to leverage its vast European network, particularly out of Italy and the United Kingdom, to sustain high load factors into Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar.
On the European side, Air France has been deepening its Africa footprint, offering connections from Paris to Tanzania in cooperation with regional and partner airlines. French travelers can increasingly book seamless itineraries to Zanzibar through the Paris hub, while code sharing means travelers from regional French cities access the archipelago with a single ticket and coordinated baggage handling. Together, these capacity moves are laying the foundation for even larger visitor volumes from Europe in the years ahead.
Airports Under Pressure as Zanzibar Becomes a Premium Hub
The air connectivity story is not only about airline schedules. Zanzibar’s Abeid Amani Karume International Airport has turned into the primary gateway for the archipelago’s tourism surge. In 2024, nearly 88 percent of all visitors arrived by air, and throughout 2025 the airport has handled more than nine out of ten arrivals. In months such as October and December, more than 90,000 tourists landed on international flights, a figure that would have been unimaginable only a decade ago.
This volume has put unprecedented pressure on the airport’s infrastructure. Authorities have responded with terminal upgrades, new immigration counters and additional security measures, but peak arrival waves can still stretch facilities close to capacity. Airlines from Europe and the Gulf time their flights for convenient connections further up the chain, which can lead to busy clusters of wide body arrivals within narrow time windows. Travel agents report that some premium travelers are already opting for fast track arrival services and private transfers to avoid queues.
Yet the airport’s growing profile also brings advantages. Higher traffic justifies more investment, and aviation authorities are in discussions with international partners about further expansion and modernization. For airlines such as Emirates, Etihad, Air France and Qatar Airways, a better equipped Zanzibar hub promises smoother turnarounds, higher satisfaction scores and the ability to deploy larger aircraft on high demand days. For the islands themselves, a more capable airport is a cornerstone of long term tourism competitiveness.
Hotels, Beaches and Stone Town Feel the Boom
On the ground, the surge in arrivals from Italy, the UK, Germany, France, Poland and Kenya is reshaping Zanzibar’s tourism landscape. Beachfront hotels in Nungwi, Kendwa and Paje report exceptionally strong occupancy rates across both traditional high season months and what were once considered shoulder periods. The average visitor stay hovers at about eight nights, giving resorts a stable base of guests and encouraging investment in on site activities, spas and culinary offerings.
Stone Town, the historic heart of Zanzibar City, is also feeling the effects. Boutique hotels carved out of former Omani merchant houses are running at high occupancy, especially during European winter and school holiday periods. Walking tours of the old town’s labyrinthine alleys, spice markets and cultural sites are often fully booked days in advance. Italian and French voices mingle with German, Polish and British accents on the seafront promenade each evening, reflecting how deeply European demand has penetrated the urban tourism scene.
For Kenya and other African markets, the boom has created opportunities in cross border itineraries. Tour companies are promoting combined packages that move seamlessly from Kenyan game reserves to Zanzibar’s beaches, using daily regional flights. This adds value to both destinations and encourages longer stays, with families and couples from Nairobi and beyond spending a week or more between savannah and sea. The integrated circuit strengthens East Africa’s position as a holistic holiday region rather than a collection of isolated stops.
Opportunities and Risks in a Record Breaking Tourism Cycle
As arrivals shatter previous records, questions naturally arise about sustainability. Zanzibar’s authorities and industry stakeholders are well aware that rapid tourism growth can bring pressures alongside prosperity. Popular beaches face the risk of overcrowding in peak months, and the island’s fragile marine ecosystems, including coral reefs and mangroves, could suffer if visitor management does not keep pace. Waste management, freshwater supply and energy demand are all under scrutiny as the hospitality sector expands.
Officials emphasize that efforts are underway to diversify the tourism offering beyond the classic beach holiday. Campaigns promote cultural tourism, food experiences, sports events and heritage trails, encouraging visitors to spread out across the islands rather than clustering at a handful of hotspots. The aim is to extend stays, distribute income more evenly into local communities and reduce pressure on any single stretch of coastline. At the same time, mandatory travel insurance policies and stricter enforcement of visa rules are intended to protect visitors and maintain a secure environment.
For European and Kenyan travelers, the record breaking numbers create both excitement and a need for planning. High demand is already driving early bookings for peak season, and the involvement of heavyweight carriers such as Emirates, Etihad, Air France and Qatar Airways means more choice but also potentially more competition for the most coveted travel dates. Travel experts advise booking far ahead for Christmas, New Year and the European spring holidays, especially for boutique properties and high end villas that have limited inventory.
What is clear is that the momentum behind Zanzibar’s tourism rise is still building. With Italy, the UK, Germany, France, Poland and Kenya anchoring a diverse visitor base, and with global airlines ramping up capacity into the region, the archipelago seems set to remain one of the world’s most talked about beach destinations. The challenge and opportunity for the coming years will be to channel this extraordinary traffic surge into sustainable, inclusive growth that preserves the magic of Zanzibar while sharing it with more travelers than ever before.