LocationsBeyond Beautiful Destinations: How Technology Can Shape the Future of Sustainable Tourism in Tanzania
June 26, 2026
Japanese technology companies, UNDP Tanzania and local innovation actors during the Japan SDG Innovation Challenge study tour matchmaking session hosted at COSTECH in Dar es Salaam
Tanzania’s tourism future will not be shaped by natural beauty alone. It will also depend on the strength of the systems behind the visitor experience, from digital payments and visitor management to conservation data, local enterprise and smart destination planning.
Tourism is one of the world’s most powerful engines of jobs, enterprise and cultural exchange. In 2024, travel and tourism contributed about US$10.9 trillion to global GDP, supported 357 million jobs worldwide and generated US$1.9 trillion in international visitor spending (World Bank, 2025). For Tanzania and Zanzibar, tourism is therefore not only an economic sector. It is a platform for conservation finance, cultural heritage, local enterprise, digital transformation and inclusive growth.
This makes the Japan SDG Innovation Challenge 2.0 Sustainable Tourism Study Tour strategically important. Delivered in partnership with UNDP Tanzania, the Government of Japan, Japan Innovation Network and Japanese private-sector innovators, the mission connected digital, AI, mobility finance and satellite-based capabilities with Tanzania’s tourism, innovation and conservation ecosystem. The delegation visited Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar from 9 to 12 February 2026, engaging government institutions, local start-ups, conservation actors and private-sector partners.
The analytical challenge: moving from attraction-based tourism to system-based competitiveness
The core insight from the study tour is that tourism competitiveness is no longer defined by attractions alone. Tanzania already has globally recognized natural and cultural assets. The next competitive frontier is the quality of the systems around those assets. These include trusted digital information, seamless payments, efficient visitor management, traceable revenue, strong conservation compliance, clear links to authorized operators and the ability to use data for planning.
The core insight from the study tour is that tourism competitiveness is no longer defined by attractions alone. Tanzania already has globally recognized natural and cultural assets. The next competitive frontier is the quality of the systems around those assets. These include trusted digital information, seamless payments, efficient visitor management, traceable revenue, strong conservation compliance, clear links to authorized operators and the ability to use data for planning.
During the field engagements and dialogues, the team observed that the tourism ecosystem has strong entrepreneurial energy, but also fragmentation. Operators, public institutions and technology actors are looking for better coordination, improved visibility and stronger digital tools that can help destinations move from volume to value. This matters because high-value tourism depends on experience quality, trust, sustainability and the ability to channel benefits to local firms and communities.
Ms. Emma Oh from TOPPAN Ecquaria presenting smart ID, smart tourism passand AI-enabled solutions during the Japan SDG Innovation Challenge study tour in Tanzania
Institutional ownership as the condition for scale
The study tour was designed as more than a technology showcase. It tested how international solutions can be grounded in local realities and aligned with national systems. On the Mainland, the delegation was hosted at the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology by Dr. Erasto Shemu Mlyuka, Acting Director, Centre for Development and Transfer of Technology, COSTECH. The session created space for engagement with Tanzania’s innovation ecosystem, local start-ups and technology actors.
“Innovation becomes meaningful when it connects technology providers with local realities, local talent and national development priorities. COSTECH welcomes partnerships that build Tanzania’s capacity to test, adapt and scale solutions for sustainable development.”
Dr. Erasto Shemu Mlyuka, Acting Director, Centre for Development and Transfer of Technology, COSTECH
In Zanzibar, the delegation was hosted by Dr. Aboud Jumbe, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Heritage, who shared Zanzibar’s priorities around sustainable tourism, digital transformation, visitor management and conservation-linked innovation. This engagement positioned Zanzibar as a practical pilot environment for smart tourism solutions where technology can improve visitor experience, revenue transparency, environmental stewardship and destination management.
“Zanzibar’s tourism future depends on value, sustainability and better systems. Digital tools can help us improve visitor management, protect our heritage and strengthen the link between tourism growth and community benefit.”
Dr. Aboud Jumbe, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Heritage, Zanzibar
Engagement with the Zanzibar Ministry of Tourism and Heritage, led by Permanent Secretary Dr. Aboud Jumbe, on smart tourism, visitor management and sustainable destination development.
What Africa and other markets teach us
Across Africa and beyond, tourism systems are becoming more digital. Rwanda’s online gorilla permit system shows how digital booking and permit management can support high-value conservation tourism while helping public institutions manage access to sensitive ecosystems (Rwanda Development Board, 2026). Kenya’s Electronic Travel Authorisation platform shows how digital entry systems can simplify travel processes, improve pre-arrival information and support border and tourism administration (Directorate of Immigration Services, Kenya, 2026). These examples are not templates to copy directly. They show that the future of tourism is increasingly shaped by digital public infrastructure, data governance and service integration.
For Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar, the analytical question is not whether technology is useful. It is which technology should be prioritized, who owns it, how local firms participate, how data is protected and how public value is measured. A Tourism Smart Pass, for example, should not be treated as an app alone. It should be seen as an ecosystem tool that can connect authorized service providers, digital payments, visitor analytics, conservation sites, local products and public-sector planning. If designed well, it can support small businesses and community-based tourism, not only large operators.
Jozani as a living laboratory
The visit to Jozani Forest illustrated the opportunity and the risk. Jozani is not only a tourism site. It is a living ecosystem, a community asset and a revenue point for conservation. Digital visitor management can help track visitor flows, strengthen revenue collection, support compliance and generate data for better conservation planning. At the same time, technology must avoid turning conservation into surveillance without trust. The value comes from a careful balance between conservation needs, visitor experience, community benefit and institutional readiness.
The delegation at Jozani Forest in Zanzibar, exploring how digital tools can support visitor management, conservation compliance and sustainable eco-tourism.
Responsible AI, local capacity and the next stage of experimentation
The study tour points to a practical development pathway. Tanzania can use tourism as an entry point for responsible digital transformation, but pilots must be small enough to test, strong enough to generate evidence and ambitious enough to scale when they work. AI-enabled conservation monitoring, smart visitor systems, climate resilience analytics, digital tools for local operators and smart waste solutions can support tourism only if they are integrated into national priorities and supported by local capacity.
This is where UNDP Tanzania’s convening role becomes important. UNDP can help turn broad interest into structured experimentation by bringing together government, local innovators, local and foreign private companies, conservation institutions, communities and development partners. The aim should be to produce evidence, not only announcements. Successful pilots should answer practical questions on cost, ownership, institutional fit, inclusion, data protection and scalability.
Call to action
UNDP Tanzania invites government institutions, private-sector partners, technology companies, research institutions, tourism operators and development partners to co-create the next phase of responsible tourism innovation. The opportunity is to move from study tour insights to practical pilots that strengthen sustainable tourism, protect ecosystems, expand local enterprise and improve public decision-making. Partners interested in testing locally owned, inclusive and scalable solutions are encouraged to cooperate with UNDP Tanzania in shaping a smarter, greener and bluer, and more competitive tourism future.
Authors:
Peter Nyanda, Analyst, Digital AI and Innovation, UNDP Tanzania
Chizuru Horiba, Programme Analyst, UNDP Tanzania.
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