Tourism in Zanzibar includes the tourism industry and its effects on the islands of Unguja

Zanzibar

Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...

 (known internationally as Zanzibar) and Pemba in the United Republic of Tanzania

Tanzania

The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...

. Tourism is the top income generator for the islands, outpacing even the lucrative agricultural export industry. The government plays a major role in promoting the industry, with the official government tourist page stating "The Vision of the Government of Zanzibar regarding tourism is “To become one of the top tourism destinations of the Indian Ocean

Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...

, offering an up market, high quality product across the board within the coming 17 years”. The main airport on the island is Zanzibar International Airport, though many tourists fly into Dar es Salaam

Dar es Salaam

Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...

 and take a ferry to the island.

Attractions

The principal grouping of attractions on Zanzibar are: coastal tourism, terrestrial wildlife, dhow

Dhow

Dhow is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with lateen sails used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Some historians believe the dhow was invented by Arabs but this is disputed by some others. Dhows typically weigh 300 to 500 tons, and have a...

 cruising and spice tours.

Stone town

Zanzibar's capital is the historical Stone Town, home to much of Zanzibar's tourism industry. It is also a World Heritage Site

World Heritage Site

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...

. The town is home to numerous historical and cultural sites, including Makusurani graveyard (where many of the islands previous Arab rulers are buried), House of Wonders (a four story building which was the first place on the islands with electrical lights), Hamamni Persian Baths (the first public baths on the island) and the Peace Memorial Museum, which serves a national historical museum detailing the island's long history

History of Zanzibar

People have lived in Zanzibar for 20,000 years; history proper starts when the islands became a base for traders voyaging between Arabia, India, and Africa...

.

Coastal tourism

Zanzibar is home to large amounts of beaches and clear Indian Ocean water, as well as coral and limestone scarps which allow for significant amounts of diving.