Land Planning Authorities and Sustainable Tourism in Zanzibar

Abstract

The National Land Use Plan (NLUP) sets out the physical planning framework with a perspective to the year 2015. The NLUP also provides a spatial framework for public as well as private sector investment programmes and serves as a basis for environmental protection. The Zanzibar Vision 2020 on the other hand aims to achieve sustainable economic growth averaging 9-10% by the year 2020 by diversifying the economy with the tourism industry which will provide employment opportunities of around 50% compared to 20% in agriculture.Starting from planning permission and ending with enforcement powers, the land planning authorities can therefore, as per the NLUP and Vision 2020, play a significant role in the implementation of sustainable tourism development such as in setting the land use framework in a way that fits the tourism industry. Nevertheless, confrontation between the authorities as well as economic, political and social interference has never escaped the planning system. The same applies between public interest against public participation. In terms of economic growth, sustainable tourism industry has a direct role in revenue and employment. Yet, the tourism industry has faced criticism on environmental damage which is a move away from sustainable tourism industry. In analyzing the Zanzibar‟s practicalities revealing successes and failures of the land planning authorities in the implementation of sustainable tourism development, this study concludes that Zanzibar favors economic sustainability in comparison to ecological sustainability. Hence Zanzibar is recommended to recognize the importance of not only rationalizing the use to which land is put in sustainable tourism development, but even more importantly ensuring that land and resources are stewarded ecologically for present and future generations.