Zanzibar free from outbreak of Marburg virus

Unguja. The Zanzibar government last Friday April assured international travelers that the Isle is safe and open for business.

Tourism minister Simai Mohamed Said said there had been no reported cases or threats of Marburg virus in Zanzibar, and as such noted that the country was welcoming travelers as usual.

In an official statement, Mr Simai noted that there had been no travel advisory issued against people visiting Zanzibar, while saying all necessary measures are in place to guarantee visitors safety and unrivaled enjoyment of their stay.

The minister noted that there was no single case of the Marburg virus in Zanzibar since it was detected early March 2023, in Kagera region on mainland Tanzania, nearly 1600 kilometres away.

The assurance comes at a time when the tourism sector in Zanzibar is expecting a ‘Green Season’

Since the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, the archipelago has seen an influx of visitors from the United States of America and the Middle East as well as those from its core European markets. It is anticipated this trend will continue in the coming months and throughout summer.

“While the United Republic of Tanzania and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar is monitoring the situation closely, there is absolutely no cause for alarm,” said Tourism Minister Simai M Said.

He added: Given that Covid-19 is still fresh in our minds, we understand that people are cautious when learning of new infections. However, such fears are often unfounded, such is the case now. Tanzania is adhering to the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards and people have no reason to worry.

He called on members of the international business community and those visiting the region and islands to rest assured that it is very much business as usual, and their health is in no way at risk from this virus. In the next few weeks Tanzania should be free from the virus.”

“This is further evidence that the spread of the virus has been halted. As we prepare to welcome our annual influx of visitors from the Northern Hemisphere and the Middle East, they can be safe in the knowledge that the virus is contained and presents no threat to them or the citizens of Zanzibar,” comments Mr. Said.

On his part the Zanzibar Association of Tour Operators (Zato) said the recent travel advisory had issued by the ministry of Health scared away some visitors.

“The statement confused some travelers and others cancelled trips,” said Zato chairperson Hassan Ali Mzee.

He added: The permanent secretary should have consulted us or the Zanzibar government before issuing such a statement which scares away travelers. The advisory is not favourable for us,” Mr Mzee said, adding that the ministers were now allaying fears.

Speaking to The Citizen, the Zanzibar National Chamber of Commerce Industries and Trade chairman Ali Amour said businesses have already started experiencing the effect of the advisory.

“Businesses in the tourism sector have started experiencing cancellations from abroad, other simply because there are airlines that are cancelling flights,” he said.

According to him because the travel advisory by the Ministry of health (Tanzania Mainland) was an internal issue it shouldn’t have been given an international outlook because the affected area was not even a region but a ward.

“It instead scared off people because some travelers can hardly tell the difference,” said Mr Amour.

This comes at a time when Zanzibar’s tourism sector has hit record numbers in the first two months of the year with signs of reaching record numbers.

Zanzibar received 65,430 international visitors in February this year – an increase of 39.2 percent compared to 46,995 visitors recorded in February 2022.