Zanzibar will become the epicentre of a crucial dialogue on air connectivity in Sub-Saharan Africa as it hosts the Tourism & Aviation Connectivity Forum on Wednesday, 11 June 2025 at the Golden Tulip Zanzibar Airport. This high-impact event will bring together tourism and aviation leaders to tackle one of the most pressing issues in the region’s travel sector—how tourism engagement can make or break airline route development.
Bridging the Gap Between Tourism and Aviation
The forum seeks to address a longstanding challenge: the failure to fully integrate tourism strategies into aviation planning. Experts warn that when destinations do not align their tourism initiatives with aviation policies, they risk losing vital airline routes. Once lost, these routes are incredibly difficult to re-establish, significantly hampering a destination’s tourism potential and economic growth. Aviation and tourism professionals alike agree that collaboration between these industries is no longer optional—it is imperative. The forum will offer a practical, hands-on approach to improving route development strategies, with a particular focus on leveraging the role of tourism in securing and sustaining flight routes.
A High-Level Gathering of Industry Leaders
The event will feature insights from key stakeholders, including Tourism CEOs, airline executives, airport authorities, government officials, and destination marketing organisations. Their collective expertise will shape discussions around the role of tourism in route development, how national tourism boards and private tourism enterprises can influence airline decisions, how closer partnerships between airports and tourism agencies can enhance route viability, the role of destination marketing organisations in ensuring new routes thrive and maintain long-term sustainability, and how policymakers can create an enabling environment for better air connectivity.
Who Should Attend?
The Tourism & Aviation Connectivity Forum is designed for key players in both industries, including tourism executives looking to drive and sustain successful route development, airline and airport representatives keen on enhancing route success through collaboration with tourism stakeholders, business developers and route planners seeking best practices for engaging with local tourism sectors, destination marketing organisations aiming to support long-term aviation partnerships, and government officials exploring strategies for fostering a collaborative environment between tourism and aviation to boost regional connectivity.
The High Stakes of Air Connectivity in Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa faces unique challenges in air connectivity. Many countries have underdeveloped aviation networks, and airline route development is often dictated by factors beyond just demand. Regulatory restrictions, high operating costs, and insufficient tourism integration have all played a role in limiting Africa’s aviation growth. However, industry experts argue that national tourism boards have a unique opportunity to drive new airline routes and spur economic expansion. A key lesson from last year’s AviaDev Africa workshop in Namibia was that airline executives see enormous potential in African tourism, but they need more data and stronger partnerships with tourism authorities to make informed decisions about new routes. By fostering stronger collaboration between airlines, airports, and tourism bodies, this forum aims to transform the way Africa approaches air connectivity, ensuring more viable, profitable, and sustainable routes.
With tourism serving as a powerful economic driver across Africa, air connectivity remains the backbone of the industry. The Tourism & Aviation Connectivity Forum in Zanzibar is expected to be a game-changer, equipping stakeholders with the tools and strategies to revolutionize air travel across the continent.
