ZATI

Guest of Honour Zanzibar Chief Minister Mr. Shamsi Vuai Nahodha (third left) with ZATI officials and distinguished personalities the association honoured during the dinner gala

ZATI DINNER PARTY 2008 held at Serena Hotel Zanzibar a success

It was ‘full house’ at the Serena last Saturday night as over 160 guests assembled around the pool for what is becoming one of the highlights of the Zanzibar social calendar – the Zanzibar Association of Tourism (ZATI) Investors Annual Dinner Party.

Tickets were in such demand that latecomers were sitting along the wall and squeezing onto tables.

The Guest of Honour at the event was the Chief Minister Hon. Shamsi Vuai Nahodha, and there were other Government Representatives from various Ministries, including the Chief Commissioner for Police Zanzibar, Mr Simba.

This year the sponsors were the FBMErepresented by the General Manager Mr. Andrew Stephens from the Head Offices in Dar es Salaam. The turnout from the 70 Zanzibar hotels, tour companies, restaurants and suppliers to the tourism industry that form the ZATI membership was high, reflecting strong support in the sector.

The Director of ZATI Julia Bishop opened the event with a speech and slideshow explaining all the recent activites that ZATI has been involved in - from attending Public Safety and Security meetings, to sponsoring bicycle races, undertaking Tourism Awareness training programmes with the police force in two areas, the Ondoa Taka Taka Stonetown cleanup, the building and opening of the police post in Nungwi last year, and sponsorship of the Simulizi za Busara poetry competition this year.

She added that ZATI has raised the profile of the tourism industry in Zanzibar, by lobbying for a better airport and more municipal facilities and more reliable utilities for the tourism industry to survive and help the economy to prosper, and that together the ZATI members can form a force for change by working together with the Government.

Ms Bishop concluded that The Zanzibar Government’s Strategy for Half a Million Tourists in Zanzibar 2007-2013 provides three challenges for ZATI.

To establish the feasibility and impact of this on Zanzibar given the current infrastructure To help to position Zanzibar’s tourism strategy to deliver jobs and income rather than visitor numbers To work with the Public Sector to deliver their goal to: “Adopt eco-tourism as a tool to sustain the natural and cultural environment and highlighting the image of the destination” (Zanzibar Tourism Masterplan)

The Chairman of ZATI – Mr Simai Mohammed Said (who is also the Chairman of Busara Promotions ) reminded the audience that tourism now represents 22% of the GDP and 77% of the FDI of Zanzibar, and laid down a strong challenge in his speech.

He said that the tourism industry, and ZATI members particularly, needed to try to adhere to a seven-part pledge – dubbed ‘The Magnificent Seven’. These promises are to encourage good cultural awareness and respect, to build and operate in a responsible manner, to be law-abiding employers, to educate and train their staff, to look after the environment, to work together with local communities, and to operate a high standard of business ethics. He particularly said he would like to see ZATI members employing over 50% Zanzibaris by the year 2010.

Mr Simai Mohammed went on to say that success for tourism lies in partnership, and in return he posed an equal challenge for the Government – in order for tourism to thrive and be sustainable in Zanzibar, he said that the Government should be mindful of their responsibilities too, and suggested further challenges to assist the tourism industry – and in fact any economic growth in Zanzibar :

1. That Zanzibar needs to be a safe and secure environment for businesses to operate and guests to visit;

2. that utilities such as power water and healthcare needed to be improved; that international standard airport needed to be built and maintained;

3. that a higher level of basic education and better vocational training would allow more Zanzibaris to enter and benefit from opportunities in the tourism industry;

4. that local businesses needed to be encouraged to supply the tourism industry to reduce mainland imports; and finally that taxes and levies need to be fair and transparent.

He concluded that the tourism industry needed to work closely with the public sector in order that both sides could keep their part of the bargain.

He thanked the Government for building better road networks, for improving bridges, the coming plans of renovating the airport and said that mobile communications are now widespread which helps the industry – but also requested urgent attention to the airport, the water and electricity supplies, unlicenced traders hassling tourists, the illegal sale of items such as sea shells, rubbish collection and finally to get rid of the blue plastic bag.

The General Manager of the FBME bank Ltd Mr. Andrew Stevens praised the natural beauty of Zanzibar and repeating that tourism is a vital growth sector in the economy.

He said the FBME bank are happy to play their part and do their bit to assist in the growth of the industry. He congratulated ZATI and the Government on the good work they are doing to promote tourism towards working in partnership.

The Chief Minister Hon NAhodha provided figures to show that tourism is the fastest growth sector and should play an active part in implementing the strategy for economic growth and poverty reduction as well as being important for socio-economic development.

He said that tourists require high quality services and returned the Chairman Mr Simai’s challenges with reports of the new Malindi passenger port, the improved road network, and he said the Government has waged a war against malaria.

He assured the members of ZATI that the Government would improve security measures to combat crime, since the tourism industry in Zanzibar is volatile and needs its international reputation protecting.

Finally special recognition was given by ZATI for special services to tourism industry – first to the Hon Mohammed Aboud, former Minister for Tourism in Zanzibar, who has long been a strong advocate of ZATI and general tourism in Zanzibar, to Renco for its assistance in building the new police post in Nungwi, and to the Rotary Club, among whose members are also many ZATI members, for their tireless assistance in helping community development and bringing eyecare clinics and and valuable lab equipment to schools.

It was concluded that the evening was a great success, that with private and public dialogue in a constructive and open manner the tourism industry in Zanzibar can be set to grow, but in a carefully managed way, taking care to attract a high quality of tourism investment which is sustainable and responsible, and supported with the right infrastructure, education and services.