Pemba Island’s Good Practice Story has been selected as part of the 2026 Green Destinations Top 100 Stories list. The recognition highlights efforts to prepare coastal communities for tourism growth while protecting local identity, livelihoods and the natural environment.
The selected story, “Before the Tourism Wave: How Pemba’s Coastal Communities Chose Preparation Over Overtourism,” is in the People & Community category. Pemba received its Top 100 recognition on 28 October 2026 in Kranj, Slovenia.
The story behind the recognition
Pemba’s approach begins with a practical question: how can tourism grow in ways that local people can help shape and benefit from? The story describes an ongoing effort to connect community dialogue and education with women’s enterprise, youth skills and protection of the coastal places on which daily life depends.
Community discussions address both opportunities and concerns, including respect for Islamic faith and Swahili culture, household privacy, access to beaches and livelihood areas, and protection of nature. The aim is to help residents make informed choices about tourism and establish the conditions under which they welcome visitors.
Seaweed farming, fishing, clove cultivation, local cooking and crafts provide a foundation for experiences shaped by community knowledge. Through The Soul of Pemba and Safari Gateway Ltd, Biubwa Omar Khamis supports connections between local hosts, travellers and travel partners, while advocating fair payment and respect for community priorities.
The story records early qualitative progress in dialogue, awareness and the visibility of women’s work. Further priorities include practical training, clear operating and payment arrangements, and stronger records of who benefits. Proposed facilities and future training are development priorities rather than completed achievements.
For Pemba, this recognition is an opportunity to invite responsible travel partnerships that support local enterprise and safeguard the island’s cultural and natural heritage. The central message is to prepare people for tourism while they still have the opportunity to shape its direction.
This announcement concerns selection to the Top 100 Stories list. It does not announce a ranked Story Award or destination-wide sustainability certification.
About the 2026 selection
Each year, the Green Destinations Top 100 Stories Competition celebrates good practice stories from destinations around the world. These stories share innovative approaches and practical solutions to tourism development challenges, showing how local action, collaboration and long-term commitment can benefit communities, the environment and the tourism sector. The recognition gives destination managers, tourism professionals, policymakers and travellers examples they can learn from and adapt.
Submissions from 41 countries were evaluated by international experts, and the Green Destination Top 100 team, coordinated by Green Destinations. Each year, the Green Destinations Top 100 Stories competition showcases destinations that are taking meaningful steps to address sustainability challenges through innovative and effective practices. By sharing their experiences, selected destinations provide inspiring examples of how tourism can contribute positively to local communities, cultural heritage, the environment, and long-term destination resilience.
The competition is held under the auspices of the Top 100 Partnership, with special contributions by: Green Destinations, QualityCoast, ITB Berlin, Asian Ecotourism Network, Ecotourism Australia, DEL Turismo, Slovenia Green, Thailand Green Plan, Global Ecotourism Network and the Future of Tourism Coalition.
The story “Before the Tourism Wave: How Pemba’s Coastal Communities Chose Preparation Over Overtourism” and the 2026 Top 100 list can be explored through the Green Destinations website: www.greendestinations.org/top-100-destinations/.
