How to turn private islands into sustainable tourism destinations

With such biodiversity, visitors will have to share space with some of Mother Nature's most majestic creatures, including the largest fish in the sea, the whale shark, according to CNN.

Cách Tanzania khai thác hòn đảo tư nhân trở thành điểm đến du lịch bền vững - Ảnh 1. — Thanda Island. Photo: CNN

Located about 30 minutes by helicopter from Tanzania's largest city, Dar es Salaam, Thanda Island is set in a private marine reserve with a rigorous conservation and restoration program - one that has benefited both visitors and the island's surrounding communities.

The brainchild of two Swedish entrepreneurs, Dan and Christin Olofsson, Thanda Island Hotel has been in operation since 2016.

“We wanted to create the ultimate escape,” says Thanda Island Hotel General Manager Antigone Meda. She explains that families and multi-generational groups of friends are typical guests on the island, with most staying between five and eight nights. The island has one villa and two outdoor beach bungalows.

“The villa was inspired by many of the Kennedy family’s beach houses. The space creates a romantic, nostalgic beach vibe, with a touch of East African light,” says Meda.

Thanda Island is striving to become self-sufficient by installing an on-site seawater desalination plant, which will collect rainwater and be powered by Tanzania’s largest off-grid solar farm, Meda said. Organic waste will be composted.

The hotel’s sustainability credentials, however, are only part of its appeal to eco-conscious travelers. The island is located within the Mafia Island Marine Park, and more specifically the Shungimbili Island Marine Reserve, which guests have exclusive access to during their stay.

In addition to the island's white sand beaches, activities include jet skiing, kayaking, surfing and kite surfing. Diving and snorkeling are top-rated activities for visitors. Whale sharks, humpback whales and black tip reef sharks are just a short boat ride away.

The island's conservation program began in 2017. Marine biologists were hired here in partnership with the Tanzania Marine Parks and Conservation Areas Unit to conserve marine species.

The island itself has a protected turtle nesting area (five species live in the area, with green turtles hatching since 2017), but most of the work takes place at sea.

Notably, Mr. Hassan Jumbe is a dive master on Thanda Island and works on the island’s coral restoration project. A 10-minute boat ride from the island is a coral nursery run by Mr. Jumbe, where corals found are cut into smaller pieces and attached to ropes suspended from floating pontoons and allowed to grow. Another technique involves cutting small corals from the seabed and creating space for them to grow.

Mr Jumbe started working here in 2022 and said there were “not many fish” in the waters near the island.

“Things are very different now. The island has healthy coral reefs and lots of fish around. So for the locals, they are very proud of that,” Mr Jumbe added.

"The ocean is our life"

Mr Jumbe explained that 90% of the nearby population, largely dependent on fishing on Mafia Island, 16 nautical miles away, lived on the reef. Mr Jumbe also said that while the private reserve was off limits, the reefs would provide safe breeding grounds, with coral populations spilling out into the wider area where they could be fished more sustainably.

“The ocean is our life. A lot of people don’t realize how important coral is,” Jumbe added.

Meanwhile, Director General Antigone Meda said the project aims to cover and restore 1 hectare of coral reef within the next 5 years.

"I remember when I first came here, I saw one or two blacktip sharks. Now the island has such a diversity of fish. When visitors go into the water, it's like being surrounded. Now, 120 whale sharks live in these waters," said Meda.

The tourism benefits have been tied to a number of projects involving the Mafia Island community. Ms Meda said most of the staff on Thanda Island come from neighbouring islands. Thanda now attracts a range of entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Mr Jumbe also said that others from Mafia Island had been trained in underwater diving and coral restoration.

“Some of our guests even help us with some of the projects we run on Mafia Island. They feel a sense of responsibility. They feel happy that luxury travel can actually make a positive impact,” said Jumbe.

Meanwhile, Cherae Robinson, founder and CEO of luxury travel operator Tastemakers Africa, said Tanzania's "really dynamic" coastal region was on her investment radar.

“The holistic approach to sustainable tourism is really gaining ground on the continent, because a lot of tourism here is environmentally-related. And so investors are seeing real sustainability here that is superior to some places,” explains Cherae Robinson.

The World Travel Awards has named Thanda Island the “World’s Leading Exclusive Private Island” for the past eight years. Like the corals off its pristine shores, the island’s reputation continues to grow and evolve./.

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