Zanzibar has told every operator of tourist accommodation on its two main islands to install working closed-circuit television systems by 15 December 2026. The directive from the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism covers hotels, lodges, guest houses, sleepers and Airbnb-style rentals on Unguja and Pemba, according to The Tanzania Times.
The commission said inspections to check compliance will begin the day after the deadline. Properties found without the required systems could have their operating licences suspended and may be barred from taking guests until the cameras are in place and verified by the authorities.
Why it matters
Tourism is central to Zanzibar's economy, and the commission framed the order as a way of protecting the islands' standing as a destination visitors can trust. In its notice, it said the safety, security and well-being of tourists and visitors is its highest priority, and that keeping a secure environment is a responsibility shared across the industry.
The directive also marks a shift in how the semi-autonomous archipelago polices its hospitality sector. Rather than leaving security arrangements to individual owners, the commission is setting a minimum standard that applies across the board, from large beach resorts to small guest houses and short-term rentals.
The Tanzania Times noted that it is not yet clear how foreign leisure travellers will react. Privacy is among the things many visitors value when choosing where to stay, and a blanket camera requirement could prompt questions from guests about what is recorded and who can see it.
What the cameras must cover
The commission's notice requires surveillance systems to be installed and kept in proper working order in all key areas of each property. It names main entrances and exit points as a minimum, and asks providers to make sure the equipment functions correctly rather than simply being present.
Operators have been given a firm cut-off of 15 December 2026 to finish installation. The commission said that once that date passes, the relevant authorities will carry out checks at tourism accommodation facilities across the islands to confirm the directive has been followed.
Facilities that fail those checks face regulatory action, including suspension of their operating licences where applicable. The notice states that such properties may not be allowed to continue running a tourism accommodation business until the required CCTV systems have been installed and verified.
The commission closed its notice by thanking operators for their cooperation and describing the effort as a joint one to protect visitors and strengthen the security and integrity of Zanzibar's tourism industry.
An industry-wide standard, with details still thin
The order applies to the full range of accommodation types rather than a single category, which means smaller operators — guest houses, sleepers and short-term rental hosts — are bound by the same deadline as established hotels. For those with fewer resources, the cost and logistics of fitting out a property in roughly five weeks could prove demanding.
The notice does not set out technical specifications such as the number of cameras required, image quality, how long footage must be retained, or who is permitted to access recordings. It also does not describe how the inspections will be conducted or what evidence operators must produce to show their systems are working.
Those gaps are likely to shape how the rollout goes in practice. Properties will need to interpret what counts as adequate coverage of "key areas" beyond entrances and exits, and the inspections from 16 December will be the first public test of how strictly the commission reads its own requirement.
What to watch
The 15 December deadline is the immediate marker. After it, attention turns to the inspection results: how many properties are found compliant, whether any licences are actually suspended, and whether the commission issues further guidance on camera specifications and data handling. How visitors respond to being filmed during their stay will become clearer once the systems are running across the islands.
