Tourism in Zanzibar: challenges for pro-poor growth

Abstract

While tourism in Zanzibar has experienced rapid expansion in the last decade, this has not been accompanied by pro-poor growth. Although tourism has brought benefits – such as foreign exchange income, employment opportunities, and infrastructure development – it has also caused negative impacts, including social problems, environmental degradation, and conflicts between investors and local communities regarding resource exploitation. This paper reviews the literature available on tourism development in Zanzibar and its impact on poverty reduction and concludes that, despite the efforts of the government, the tourism sector has few linkages with the local economy and therefore, has a limited impact on poverty reduction. Some of the reasons behind this failure include the economic interests of wealthy investors and certain government officials, widespread corruption, and lack of policies connecting local communities with the tourism sector. If pro-poor tourism policies are not introduced and applied soon, not only poverty reduction efforts will be seriously undermined but also the future of the tourism sector in Zanzibar will be put in jeopardy.