Tourists are returning in droves as the famous spice islands of Zanzibar reassert their evocative allure as a vacation destination.
In the 1800s, there was a U.S. embassy on Zanzibar because of the islands' importance to the spice trade. While the islands' economic weight has lessened, the name "Zanzibar" still exerts a powerful draw on the imagination. It is easy to see why — a distinctive local sailing boat, the dhow, gliding through the harbor at sundown is a sight that has not changed for centuries.
Yet the recent perception of Zanzibar has not been quite so nostalgic. The islands hit the international headlines in January because of political disturbances, which resulted in the death of about twenty people. Peace has now returned and most commentators interpreted the event as an unfortunate one-off, an over-reaction on the part of the government and an overwhelmed police force.
But the government of Zanzibar is the first to recognize the impact of January's events and, while explaining that much of the friction comes from historical issues, is determined to take action so that it does not happen again.
"I acknowledge that the January disturbances have tarnished the image of our society because we always considered ourselves as peaceful and we want to stay that way," says President Amani Karume, voted in for his first term of office last year.
Karume insists that he is fostering competitive politics and taking positive steps in reforming the judiciary, fighting corruption and focusing on infrastructure development. The main disturbances occurred on Pemba, one of the three main islands together with Unguja and Mafia, which constitute Zanzibar, and Karume is plowing resources into the provision of roads and water for this island. Part of the root of the Pembanese grievance is neglect by the previous administration.
There is still a vocal minority that would like to see a dissolution of the 1964 union between the then Tanganyika and Zanzibar, piloted through by Julius Nyerere on the mainland and by Abeid Karume, the islands' first independence president and Amani Karume's father, from the Zanzibari side. But while the current president recognizes the need to restore social harmony in the islands, he insists that the majority are in favor of the union and the benefits it brings the islands.
The principal shock from January, however, and the one that was most telling was economic. "The events of January victimized the economy," says the president, "some of the hotels closed, tourist numbers declined and potential investors took a sideline."
More than anything else there is a firm recognition from the authorities that tourism cannot flourish in an uncertain climate, although tourist numbers have proved resilient, bouncing back strongly six months later.
Tourism is the principal focus of the government's policy of economic diversification away from cloves, although between 70 percent and 80 percent of the islands' economy is still based on agricultural production. However, 90 percent of current investment is tourism related. The Serena Hotel, a part of the Aga Khan's hotel division, cost approximately $7 million to build, as did the resort hotels of Bluebay and Breezes on the east coast. A restoration of the ex-telecoms house on the Stone Town waterfront, the Serena is an example of the tourism potential of the sensitive development of a historic city — the Stone Town of Zanzibar is a United Nations World Heritage Site. Indeed, the Aga Khan Foundation was instrumental in drawing up the preservation code for the Stone Town and is also looking at restoring the city's waterside gardens.
There is limited investment in other areas as well — Zanzibar has a small seaweed growing industry — but Zanzibar's main economic potential apart from tourism comes from the activities of the port. Zanzibar could act as a transshipment point for the East African region. There are moves to further develop an existing tariff-free export processing zone but much depends on desperately needed investment in the port.
Zanzibar Ports Corporation director general Mustafa Jumbe emphasizes that everything in the island passes through the port but is frank about the state of the existing infrastructure. A German study in 1999 recommended closure of the port as the structure was unsafe, an option unthinkable to the Zanzibar authorities, reliant on port traffic. The European Union, which originally constructed the port accepts responsibility for the current technical problems but for much of the 1990s has been dragging its feet because of the criticism of the electoral process in Zanzibar.
The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development has indicated it may assist and current plans revolve around creating a separate commercial port to the north of Stone Town and converting the existing facility into a passenger terminal. It is estimated that these plans may need approximately $40 million.
The positive side of the need for new facilities is the strong demand that makes them so necessary. About a thousand people, both locals and tourists pass through the port on a daily basis. Seeing the crowds of people at the quayside, and enjoying the hospitality of the locals, it is difficult to imagine a less likely spot for political friction. The appetite of tourists for the exotic allure of Zanzibar has proven remarkably resilient and is likely to remain so.
