Zanzibar's introduction of a mandatory tourist insurance policy has coincided with a significant rise in visitor numbers, according to Minister for Tourism and Heritage, Mudrik Ramadhani Soraga.
The policy, which came into effect in October 2024, requires all tourists to pay a $44 fee.
Despite initial concerns raised by industry stakeholders over its potential impact on the destination’s competitiveness, tourist arrivals have grown consistently, with a record 91,611 visitors recorded in December 2024.
Minister Soraga noted that the insurance fee has not deterred interest in Zanzibar, stating that monthly tourism arrivals have seen a 17% average increase since the policy’s implementation.
When asked to comment, Tanzania's Head of Tourism Marketing, Tim Henshall stated, "A significant percentage of passengers arriving into Zanzibar to this point will have booked long before the insurance requirement was announced, so it is still very early days before we can truly assess the impact of this move".
Henshall also added that, "Travel professionals in the UK have been hugely vocal in their concerns regarding this initiative" highlighting that the parliamentary imposed law was not introduced by the Ministry of Tourism, but by Zanzibar's Ministry of Finance.
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