Paper short abstract:

Sustainable development of tourism advocates socio-economic upliftment of host communities. This paper examines how evolution of tourism in Zanzibar has not only failed in promoting this goals but is directly responsible for continuing socio-economic marginalization of the local population.

Paper long abstract:

Tourism was touted by government officials and international consultants as Zanzibar's savior after the collapse of the economy during the socialist era, in the early 1980s. However, almost 30 years later, the quality of life enjoyed by majority of Zanzibaris continues to deteriorate, subjecting more people to abject poverty. With foreigners controlling the tourism industry and corruption rampant, Zanzibaris also have to compete for tourist jobs with large number of people migrating from throughout Eastern Africa, for whom Zanzibar offers better economic prospects than mainland Africa. As a consequence, Zanzibar, initially aspiring to promote cultural tourism, now primarily prevails as a destination for sun, sand, and increasingly, sex tourism. Based on over 10 years of ethnographic research in Zanzibar, the paper evaluates how growth of tourism in Zanzibar has transformed the social and economic condition of its people, in turn shaping new inequalities and raising new modes for defining ideas of belonging to the islands. The paper further examines how the evolution of tourism in Zanzibar correlates with models of sustainable tourism advocated by the World Tourist Organization, which emphasize maintaining values of cultural integrity and protecting and enhancing future opportunities for host communities.