Boozy British tourists heading to Zanzibar might be disappointed – and that’s a good thing

But while tourist arrivals may have soared, jumping from around half-a-million a year before Covid, to just under 640,000 last year, the numbers are still comparatively low given the size of the island, and the fact that tourists are so widely dispersed around its north and east coasts.

In fact, you only have to examine the statistics for Mallorca (16.5 million visitors, to 900,000 locals) or Saint Kitts and Nevis (540,000 visitors, to 47,000 locals), to appreciate why most of Zanzibar’s 1.8 million residents still double-take at the sight of a pale mzungu (foreigner).

This is especially true on the northern island of Pemba, where you’ll find just a handful of eco-resorts, backpackers, and the occasional luxury hotel like The Manta Resort (themantaresort.com), famous for its underwater room with tropical fish swimming past the window.

But even on Zanzibar’s main island, tourism has barely made an impact away from the beaches and maze-like, former capital Stone Town, with very few tourists taking the opportunity to hike its rainforest, or visit its crumbling Arab palaces, harems and slave dungeons. It’s something the authorities are keen to rectify.

It won’t be easy, though. Zanzibar’s beaches are insanely hard to pry yourself away from, and with everything from diving and dolphins to some of the best kitesurfing conditions on the planet, it’s no wonder they leave such a lasting impact.