Zanzibar Emerges as an African Tourism Growth Hotspot as European Travellers Fuel Visitor Rise in Q2 2026

Zanzibar welcomed 148,310 tourists in the second quarter of 2026, with June delivering the strongest monthly performance as European travellers dominated the latest regional visitor data.

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Zanzibar emerges as an African tourism growth hotspot as European travellers fuel visitor rise in Q2 2026, with the island welcoming 148,310 tourists during the quarter and recording stronger momentum driven by a sharp June recovery. European travellers led the growth, contributing 43,105 visitors and 61.9% of June arrivals, while rising leisure demand, strong air connectivity and Zanzibar’s appeal as a holiday destination supported the increase.

June Drives Zanzibar’s Q2 Tourism Recovery

The second quarter began with a sharp monthly setback. Zanzibar received 38,554 tourists in April, down 41.2% from March.

May brought the first signs of recovery. Arrivals edged up 4.1% month on month to 40,151, but visitor volumes remained well below the level seen before April’s decline.

The real shift came in June. Tourist arrivals jumped 73.4% from May to 69,605, making the final month the clear driver of the quarter.

Nearly 46.9% of all Q2 visitors arrived in June alone. April accounted for 26.0% of the quarter’s total, while May represented 27.1%.

Zanzibar Tourist Arrivals in Q2 2026

The pattern shows that Zanzibar’s second-quarter performance was not a story of steady growth. Instead, the market weakened sharply in April, stabilised in May and then accelerated strongly in June.

Tourist Arrivals Also Increase from 2025 Levels

The June rise was not only a month-on-month recovery. Zanzibar’s 69,605 arrivals were also 3.1% higher than June 2025, when the islands received 67,496 visitors.

April also recorded annual growth. Tourist arrivals increased 3.8%, from 37,137 in April 2025 to 38,554 in April 2026.

May 2026 brought 40,151 visitors, with a supplied annual growth rate of 8.4%. That percentage implies approximately 37,040 arrivals in May 2025, although this figure is derived rather than independently confirmed.

Zanzibar Q2 Tourist Arrivals: 2025 vs 2026

The May 2025 figure is derived from the supplied rounded annual growth rate. The resulting Q2 2025 total and approximately 4.7% Q2 growth rate should therefore be treated as estimates.

On that basis, Zanzibar’s second-quarter arrivals were approximately 4.7% higher than the comparable 2025 level.

Europe Leads Zanzibar’s June Tourism Market

Europe stood at the centre of Zanzibar’s June tourism performance.

The continent supplied 43,105 tourists, representing 61.9% of arrivals during the month. That placed Europe comfortably ahead of every other regional source market.

Africa ranked second with 13,418 visitors, accounting for 19.3% of the monthly total.

Asia contributed 6,585 tourists, or 9.5%, while the Americas supplied 5,443 visitors, representing 7.8%.

Oceania remained the smallest regional source market, with 1,042 arrivals, equal to 1.5% of the total.

Zanzibar Tourist Arrivals by Region — June 2026

The supplied regional figures total 69,593, which is 12 fewer than the reported June total of 69,605. The reported regional shares nevertheless add up to 100% after rounding.

European Demand Gives Zanzibar a Strong International Base

Europe’s 61.9% share means roughly six in every 10 tourists recorded in June came from the continent.

European arrivals were also more than three times the number recorded from Africa, Zanzibar’s second-largest regional source market that month.

That concentration gives European travel demand considerable importance within Zanzibar’s visitor economy.

However, the 61.9% share applies specifically to June 2026. The supplied information does not contain a complete regional breakdown for April and May, so it should not be treated as Europe’s share for the entire second quarter.

Leisure Travel Dominates the Visitor Mix

Zanzibar remained overwhelmingly a leisure destination in June.

Holidaymakers accounted for 99.2% of all visitors, leaving only a small share of arrivals for other travel purposes.

A further 0.6% travelled to visit friends and relatives, while business, meetings and other social activities together accounted for 0.2%.

Visitors stayed for an average of eight days, reinforcing the importance of holiday travel to the island’s tourism model.

Airports Remain Zanzibar’s Main Tourism Gateway

Air travel carried the overwhelming majority of visitors into Zanzibar during June.

Airports handled 62,697 tourists, representing 90.1% of all arrivals.

Seaports accounted for the remaining 6,908 visitors, or 9.9% of the total.

The figures show the central role aviation plays in Zanzibar’s tourism economy, with around nine in every 10 June visitors entering through airports.

Male and Female Visitor Numbers Remain Closely Balanced

Zanzibar’s June visitor profile was relatively balanced by gender.

Male tourists numbered 37,073, accounting for 53.3% of monthly arrivals.

Female visitors totalled 32,532, representing the remaining 46.7%.

Together, the two figures match the reported June total of 69,605 visitors.

Tourism Growth Carries Wider Economic Importance

For Zanzibar, visitor growth matters far beyond hotels, beaches and resorts.

According to the supplied figures, tourism directly contributes around 29.2% of Zanzibar’s GDP.

The sector also generates approximately 80% of the archipelago’s foreign-exchange earnings, giving international visitor flows significant importance to the wider economy.

That dependence makes monthly and quarterly arrival trends closely linked to the performance of businesses and economic activity connected with tourism.

Longer-Term Visitor Numbers Show Broader Expansion

The Q2 performance follows a longer period of tourism growth.

Zanzibar recorded 736,755 tourist arrivals in the 12 months ending November 2025, representing a 16.2% year-on-year increase.

The latest quarter followed a less even path. April brought a sharp month-on-month decline, May delivered a modest recovery, and June produced the strongest increase.

Zanzibar Tourism in Numbers

Zanzibar Ends Q2 With Stronger Momentum

Zanzibar closed the second quarter with a very different tourism picture from the one seen at its start.

Monthly arrivals rose from 38,554 in April to 69,605 in June, with the final month accounting for almost half of all Q2 visitors.

Europe remained the dominant regional market in the available June data, while airports handled more than 90% of arrivals and leisure travel accounted for almost the entire visitor mix.

The supplied figures place Q2 arrivals at 148,310, around 4.7% above the estimated comparable 2025 level. That quarterly growth rate should remain labelled as an estimate because the May 2025 figure is derived rather than independently confirmed.

For now, the clearest signal comes from June: Zanzibar ended Q2 with sharply stronger monthly arrivals, reinforcing tourism’s importance to an economy where the sector contributes heavily to output and foreign-exchange earnings.

In conclusion, Zanzibar emerges as an African tourism growth hotspot as European travellers fuel visitor rise in Q2 2026, with the island recording 148,310 arrivals and gaining stronger momentum through a powerful June recovery. The growth was supported by Europe’s leading contribution, rising leisure demand, strong air connectivity and Zanzibar’s continued appeal as a holiday destination. As tourism remains a major pillar of the island’s economy, the latest performance highlights Zanzibar’s growing position as a competitive African destination attracting international travellers and strengthening its long-term tourism outlook.