Reflection Paper On Travel To Zanzibar

02 | Preparing to leave

Travelling to Zanzibar on a field trip opened new doors of personal self-reflection for me. For the first time in my life I felt like a tourist on African soil, a place I call home, a place with a general sense of familiarity. Zanzibar intrigued me from day one, I had never been on an island settlement before nor had I been to a place that was 95% Muslim and socially conservative. I had preconceived ideas of what Zanzibar might be like - it is considered the most beautiful island of Africa and attracts tourists from all over the world. The pre-departure plan included preliminary research and making sure I was well-equipped for the trip. This chapter looks at the pre-departure process and how that process was fuelled by tatctics used in mass tourism.

Before tourists embark on a holiday, considerable planning and preparation is done down to the finest detail. The purpose of the preparation being to maximise on the time spent while on the trip to ensure safety and the most productive outcome within a short space of time. Preparations included getting documentation in order, vaccinations and the like. There is no worse thought when travelling than to be turned away and sent back home upon arrival, especially when a considerable amount of money has already been spent. So in preparation

Zanzibar’s economy relies on tourism so travel agents make sure that when people search for information on Zanzibar they find whatever they need at a click of the button. Searche results relating to Zanzibar include: accommodation, Tripadvisor; resorts, holidays, weather and history, which is last on the list. The internet has replaced other sources of travel information such as magazines because the results are not instant and the travel magazines are often littered with advertising not pertaining to the travelling