The 14th edition of the Sauti za Busara festival will kick off on Feb. 9 this year with the expectation of promoting cultural tourism in Tanzania’s semi-autonomous Zanzibar archipelago.
Sauti za Busara is an annual music festival that brings together people from around the world to celebrate African music.
Miraji Ussi, Marketing Director of the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism (ZCT), said that apart from promoting local culture, the event will also build technical capacities and boost the local economy through the employment and training of East Africans.
He said that the event has generated over 70 million U.S. dollars in revenue for Zanzibar since it began in 2004.
Ussi explained that the festival has continued to grow and attract more international visitors every year, keeping it accessible to local and regional guests.
With February being the busiest month in the year for arrivals to Zanzibar, including over 40,000 visitors, local flights and ferries are full, hotels and restaurants abuzz with festival energy.
“Sauti za Busara is a vital link to travelers from around the world and mainland Africa — it’s the music that brings them to Zanzibar and while they’re here, we hope they’ll discover a plethora of reasons to return,” said Trish Dhaka, one of the local tour operators.
It is estimated that tourism contributes more than 80 percent of Zanzibar foreign exchange earnings and 27 percent of GDP. Enditem
Source: Xinhua/NewsGhana.com.gh
