The Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) has taken a major step to boost tourism and attract new investment by signing a historic partnership agreement with the Zanzibar Association of Tourism Investors (ZATI).
The move is expected to strengthen Mainland–Zanzibar tourism cooperation, broaden investment opportunities and position Tanzania more competitively on the global tourism map.
The agreement was signed on December 2, 2025, in Zanzibar, at an event officiated by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Heritage, Dr. Aboud Jumbe.
He commended TANAPA’s decision to establish its Liaison Office in Zanzibar, describing it as a strategic investment that has paved the way for deeper collaboration.
Dr. Jumbe said the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar will continue working closely with TANAPA to improve the investment environment, particularly within Mainland national parks where tourism potential remains vast.
“This agreement will encourage visitors travelling through Zanzibar to extend their stay by exploring national parks in Mainland Tanzania,” he said.
“At the moment, most tourists who arrive in Zanzibar return home without experiencing these natural treasures. By expanding investment, we also advance ZATI’s goals of attracting new investors, improving infrastructure, expanding quality tourism services and creating more jobs.”he added
TANAPA’s Senior Assistant Conservation Commissioner and Eastern Zone Chief, John Nyamhanga, applauded ZATI for championing a plan aimed at increasing investment in tourism products and accommodation facilities.
He said improved tourism offerings will naturally lengthen tourist stays in national parks a key factor in raising revenue for TANAPA and the nation.
He also underscored the importance of Mainland national parks to the broader tourism economy, noting that TANAPA oversees 21 national parks with unique attractions that contribute both directly and indirectly to Zanzibar’s tourism sector and the wider national income.
“These agreements will bring concrete benefits by strengthening private-sector participation, improving access to market data and enhancing the movement of tourists between Zanzibar and Mainland wildlife destinations,” Nyamhanga said. “This will create a stronger balance between beach tourism and bush tourism.”
TANAPA’s Assistant Conservation Commissioner and Head of the TANAPA Liaison Office in Zanzibar, Dr. Halima Kiwango, said the agreement is part of ongoing efforts to build strong relationships with government institutions, private operators and tourism stakeholders in Zanzibar in order to expand the national tourism market.
ZATI Chairperson Suleiman Ali Mohamed said the association is placing more focus on mobilising investment and using its global marketing expertise to promote attractions across both sides of the Union.
The TANAPA–ZATI partnership is expected to improve access to tourism information, link marketing systems and strengthen coordinated tourism promotion between Zanzibar and Mainland Tanzania’s national parks an outcome stakeholders say will lift the entire sector.
