At the forefront of the United Nations’ digital transformation journey, UNDP Tanzania took the virtual stage during the inaugural UNDP AI Week that took place from November 17–21to demonstrate how artificial intelligence is being harnessed to strengthen Zanzibar’s vital tourism economy.  The global event brought together innovators and experts from across the UNDP network to explore the intersection of AI and sustainable development. Amid high-level discussions on ethics and governance, UNDP Tanzania featured prominently in the "AI in Action" Digital Gallery. Mr. Peter Nyada, Country Development Analyst and Head of Exploration, presented Jozani AI—a pioneering platform redefining evidence-based decision-making in the tourism sector. 

Bridging Critical Information Gaps 

Tourism drives approximately 50% of Zanzibar's GDP and supports 1.6 million jobs nationally. Yet decision-makers faced a significant challenge: annual exit surveys left a 364-day information gap, while over 100,000 online reviews posted yearly on major online travel platforms (OTPs) went unanalyzed. Policymakers and businesses lacked current data to improve services or respond to complaints. Jozani AI was developed to turn this challenge into an opportunity. Co-created by the UNDP Accelerator Lab, the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism (ZCT), and the UNDP SDG AI Lab, the platform leverages automated scrapers and Natural Language Processing (NLP) to convert continuous traveler feedback into actionable intelligence.   

Crucially, the tool is anchored in Responsible AI principles. It analyzes only publicly available, non-personal data, ensuring transparency while protecting privacy. The resulting dashboard empowers both government agencies and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) with real-time visualizations, heatmaps, and trend charts.