This is the beautiful surprise of French tour operators on this winter season 2021-2022. A few kilometers off the Tanzanian coast, the archipelago of Zanzibar, a land of spices and waters with unreal colors. For the receptive as for the hotel managers on the spot, the report is unanimous concerning the French tourists: "everything is full on weeks and weeks", summarizes Morgan, manager of the Kappa Club Waridi Beach Resort on the northeast coast of the main island of Unguja. "I can confirm a real success for the destination ! Our figure since the beginning of January in booking has doubled compared to 2019.", enthuses Matthieu Mariotti production manager at Kuoni.
"Zanzibar is among the destinations that have had a fairly stable and easy approach to their Covid protocol, like the Maldives. And these are the destinations that also have to attract customers, customers who are not afraid that the protocol changes every two days, and protocol easy to understand," he says. To access it, you will still need a visa, vaccination certificate and negative PCR test less than 96 hours old. But on the spot, no pass, no mask, nor even Covid as such, as the pandemic did not seem to want to take root on the archipelago, for various reasons. "The archipelago also benefits from the non-opening of Asia. Sales are increasing every day, it is a cardboard box and a destination that has soared" confirms Philippe Sangouard, head of Boomerang Voyages (NG Travel Group).
At the latter, which operates two clubs Kappa and a club Co even in the Top 3 of the best-selling stays of the winter, behind the Dominican and Dubai. The figures speak for themselves, Boomerang already announced, from October to the number of pax and multiplied by 2.5 the turnover on the destiny of the entire winter season 2019-2020.
Travel to Zanzibar : Direct flight from Paris
The same is true of TUI France, which operates a Lookéa club and four Nouvelles Frontières tours in Zanzibar, which has entered the top 10 destinations in 2022, whereas it was only in 26th position in 2018-2019. For the winter of 2021-2022 this translates for example into +50% of attendance on the club Lookea Kiwenga. "Indeed, the tourism sector has grown since October 2020 when the destination opened to Europe and Central Asia / Russia. Given that Zanzibar was the "only" destination to be opened during the Covid, it has made them known worldwide." says the management of the major tour operator. If Ethiopian Airlines. Qatar Airways or Oman Air capture the European clientele and serve the island from their respective hubs. The majors of the continent have seized the ball and have opened in recent months direct flights to lile. This is the case for KLM, Lufthansa and Air France, which has been offering two flights a week from Paris-CDG since October 18, operated by Boeing 787-g Dreamliner, with a stopover in Nairobi. And for the airline, as well as for hoteliers and tour operators, the tourism boom should continue in the coming seasons. "We have already received a lot of bookings and we are almost full." TUI France is already pleased to say.
