Zanzibar Becomes an Attractive Destination for Russian tourists -By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh

Air Tanzania is officially launching direct flights between Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, and Moscow, Russia. Air Tanzania specialists emphasize that it is an incredible opportunity for these flights to significantly boost economic diplomacy, trade, and tourism between the two nations. Early June, President of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan, and her delegation were in Moscow and St. Petersburg’s SPIEF-2026, at the invitation of Russian leader Vladimir Putin. And tourism was one dominant topic discussed at their bilateral meeting.

It was, previously, discussed within the framework of official visits by the Russian delegations to Tanzania. The sides noted that the country is well positioned to become a more attractive destination for Russian tourists. The Russian party also offered help in promoting Tanzanian tourist products on the Russian market, organizing business meetings with Russian travel agents and presenting the tourist potential at Russia’s tourist forums.

The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsiya, sent an authorization to Air Tanzania for making flights over the route of Dar es Salaam – Moscow. “Rosaviatsiya received an application of the Tanzanian national air carrier, Air Tanzania to make flights on the route of Dar es Salaam – Moscow. The issue was promptly considered and the authorization for flights was already sent to the airline. Air Tanzania did not make flights to Russia before,” Russian Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin told Russian reporters.

Tanzania is a popular tourist destination for Russian tourists for years, particularly Zanzibar. “Unfortunately, during the pandemic, the number fell sharply, and now we are trying to increase it again. But to increase the number of tourists, we need several factors to be in place. The most important thing to do to bring back the number of tourists to a high level is to establish direct flights from Russia to Tanzania,” Russian Ambassador to Tanzania, Andrey Avetisyan, explained in an interview with The Citizen newspaper.

The key operational and news details include:
Launch Date: Direct flights officially begin on July 2, 2026, marking a massive milestone for African-Eurasian travel.
Frequency: Air Tanzania will operate three weekly flights between Tanzania and Moscow (departing on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays). The journey time will be 8 hours and 30 minutes.
The Route: From Moscow, the flights will operate from Vnukovo airport. Using the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, planes will fly between Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, and Moscow, with initial discussions highlighting a strategic stop in the Seychelles for refueling.

Tanzania has hit an all-time record in terms of the number of foreign tourists. By facilitating this travel arrangement, Russia and Tanzania have taken a significant step forward for establishing connectivity with the Island, well-noted for recreation. Welcomed by East African entrepreneurs, this policy initiative indicates a broader efforts to promote a more inter-connected and open Africa.

In 2024, the country accepted more than 1.5 million guests on its territory. According to tourism experts, the new development will likely go beyond the traditional recreation, to create grounds for expansion and diversification of its various types of tourism including—medical, sports and business tourism.

Zanzibar, off Tanzania’s coast, is one of East Africa’s most popular tourist destinations and attracts visitors from Europe and North America. In addition, Zanzibar is now attracting Russian tourists. “We look forward to the emerging tourism dynamics, future collaboration between the two countries,” says Tour Operator Karina Yefimova at the “Let’s Travel” forum in June 2026.

With an estimated population of 1.9 million people, Zanzibar is a Tanzanian archipelago off the coast of East Africa. It is located in the Indian Ocean, and consists of many small islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar) and Pemba Island.