DESTINATIONS ZANZIBAR | SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL


ABOVE AND RIGHT: Some of the 120 students at the Tui Academy in Stone Town ABOVE RIGHT: Saida Malik, who trains tour guides and is a guide herself PICTURES: Tui Care Foundation/Daniel Scheffler; Georgina Lawton


emphasis on women having more traditional roles in the home. But Ali tells me things are changing, saying: “Chako doesn’t [worry] about employing women to do woodwork.” Hotels such as The Mora Zanzibar or Tui Blue


Bahari Zanzibar – both five-star, all-inclusive resorts in the north of Zanzibar (Tried & Tested, page 48) – often buy back Chako’s designs, making it a circular business model that also helps keep the beaches pristine.


TRAIN TO GAIN The focus on sustainable travel extends to training local people in tourism jobs so they can find employment on the island – and I’m excited to see it. One sunny morning I set off to Tui Academy in Stone Town. Tui Care’s educational institute trains 120 young Zanzibaris in English, maths, hospitality and environmental awareness through its partner, the Kawa Training Centre. Set on the second floor of a narrow building in the midst of the frenetic capital, the Kawa Training Centre jostles with activity. Outside are winding streets full of motorbikes and souks selling spices and even spiky durian fruit. But inside, there’s a full classroom and I listen to enthusiastic students (up to the age of 21) reeling off facts about their home for a tourism lesson, part of a six-month module. Others show off their practical training


travelweekly.co.uk I’ve met a lot of people


and I love what I do because I learn every day. It’s important for women to be free


in a mock restaurant service as part of their hospitality module, which spans nine months and includes an internship in a hotel or restaurant. Zanzibar recorded 736,000 international


visitors in 2024, an increase of 15% compared with the previous year, with the UK ranked as the fifth-biggest European market. Hospitality and tourism jobs are a vital


part of the economy and Tui Academy aims to place at least 80% of its graduates in a job within six months of graduating. But there is still a stigma surrounding female tour guides in Zanzibar, and this class is mostly made up of young men. I speak with Saida Malik, 32, who trains tour guides with Tui Care and works as one herself. She stepped into the industry to support her siblings after her parents died. “I didn’t tell other people at first because some have a perspective that women in tourism


are prostitutes,” she says. “I’ve met a lot of people and I love what I do because I learn every day. It’s important for women to be free.” Her words stay with me when, on my final


day, I take part in Safari Blue, an immersive boat cruise to the conservation region of Menai Bay. I snorkel in crystalline waters, spotting clownfish darting through cream-coloured coral and then sunbathe on snow-white sands, before feasting on lipstick-bright watermelon and a seafood lunch on a sandbank. I’m grateful for the freedom to experience the rhythm of Zanzibari life through conservation efforts, cultural exchanges and the simple joy of being present in this paradise – and to meet some of the creative entrepreneurs who are shaping the Zanzibar tourism scene and will continue to do so for years to come. TW


BOOK IT


Tui offers a seven-night holiday at Tui Blue Bahari Zanzibar, departing on May 27, from £1,676, based on two sharing a Deluxe Double room. A week at The Mora Zanzibar, departing on May 31, costs from £1,910, based on two sharing a Junior Suite. Both prices are per person on an all-inclusive basis, and include flights from Heathrow and transfers. tui.co.uk


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