Zanzibar Africas first mass tourism destination?

Zanzibar was my second favourite destination on the world.

Claire and I first visited this wonderful island in 1989 on one of our many trips scouring the world for the land to build our dream. It was amazing, untouched, shabby, intriguing and unique. I haven't been to Zanzibar since 1997 and even then it was still amazing, but more 'discovered' .

It was on that trip that I decided that I wouldn't go back to Zanzibar again, preferring to keep my memories pure.

If what 'The Guardian' travel section maybe I was right.
Spice invaders
Everyone who visits Zanzibar - the island with the most poetic name in the world - wants to be the only person there. Trouble is that more and more of us are going, says Ed Vulliamy
http://travel.guardian.co.uk/article/2007/may/12/saturday.tanzania

Now, Zanzibar is at a different kind of crossroads: "Zanzibar," says Chris McIntyre, an Africa-passionate former VSO worker who runs Expert Africa, "has become our first mass destination. It can go either way from here. If the development is sensitive and careful, it can remain the beautiful place it is. If not, Zanzibar could be a nightmare in 20 years time."

I hope this isn't true but even on 1997 you could see what could happen. Direct flights were beginning, package holidays, Italians planes flying in pasta and tourisist to Italian owned resorts , Honeymooners....

Even then one could see that the evironment and culture would suffer, Zanzibar has only a limited amount of water and the seemingly unregulated building of huge hotels would cause issues and they really don't like women in bikinis!

I remember a great phrase about tourism that I heard in Tanzania. "Tourism can warm your house.......or it can burn your house down"

The UN also issued a report on Zanzibar
Zanzibar - Zanzibar's famed pristine, palm-fringed beaches are threatened by the unchecked disposal of raw sewage, development and deforestation, said officials
http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/Features/0,,2-11-37_2018732,00.html


One of the reasons we choose Malawi as the denstination for our lodge, is that it was never going to become 'too' popular. It seems a strange reason for starting a tourism business but it was true. We wanted to live in a country and enjoy the culture and not to change it.

Now 15 years later I think that the culture in Malawi has changed. But I am not sure whehter that's down to the fact that Jackie Chan movies and Democracy arrived in Malawi at about the same time we did and Malawi moving from the 1950's to the 90's in about 4 years.

The one thing I am sure of is that we suceeded in our aim and Malawi is not 'too' popular!
By the way my favourite destination was Koh Samet in Thailand in 1988 and my third was Lamu in 1990.