Zanzibar: All spice, no sugar. (Countryfile).

The peace agreement that was signed on October 9 between the governing Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) and the opposition Civic United Front (CUF) has finally brought hope that Zanzibar may be returned to something nearing normality. While the political stand-off which followed the post-election violence has done nothing for political relations on the islands, it has also damaged Zanzibar's burgeoning tourist trade.

The peace accord, which was signed by the CUF and CCM leaders at Zanzibar State House, in the presence of all of Tanzania's political parties, aims to bring to an end the tension which has provoked uncertainty since the violence of January this year.

Controversial election results

Political tension had been growing on the islands since Tanzania moved towards multiparty democracy in the early 1990s. The CUP became increasingly frustrated at the CCM's inability to adapt to a democratic system. The 1995 election -- which the CUP was expected to win - was eventually won by the CCM by less than 1% of the vote, after the results took much longer than expected to count.

Matters came a head after the December 2000 elections, which were again won in controversial circumstances by the CCM. International observers were shocked by the level of irregularities - and protests grew steadily more violent. On January 26 and 27 this year, over 30 CUP supporters were killed in a confrontation with police and Tanzania's international reputation took a battering.

In a highly embarrassing move for the Tanzanian government, around 2,000 people fled to Kenya following the deaths. They insisted that they were too scared to return and their plight kept the story in the news. In an attempt to diffuse the situation, Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa has announced that his government is considering compensation for the refugees and also for the families of those killed.

Deaths to he investigated

Under the terms of the peace accord, there will be an investigation into the deaths of the CUF supporters and discussions will be held on establishing a government of unity. By-elections will also be held for vacant seats. Many CUF members of parliament refused to take up their sears in protest at the election result.

The political accord provides for the creation of a permanent voter register, reform of the electoral system and the media will, somewhat ambiguously, be encouraged to give equal coverage to all parties.

The CUP had steadfastly refused to agree to an accord without a re-run of last year's elections. This has not been achieved but party chairman Ibrahim Lipumba says that he is pleased with the progress that has been made towards a lasting peace.

Tanzania is a young democracy, so it could be that democratic principles will rake some time to take root. However, the population is fairly evenly split between CCM supporters, who back union with the mainland, and those who want greater autonomy, including the CUP. Compromise is difficult in such situations. But, as in all such cases, a sustained period of economic growth and rising living standards will work wonders. And as the cornerstone of Zanzibar's economic development, the tourist sector has a key role to play in promoting stability.

Zanzibar's unusual status

Zanzibar has a somewhat unusual status in Africa. It enjoys a semi-autonomous status within the Union of Tanzania, and has its own parliament and border controls. There are two main islands: Pemba and Unguja, and tourism on Zanzibar means Unguja island. At least 95% of foreign visitors to the islands go to the more developed southern island.

Apart from its spice industry, Zanzibar relies heavily upon its tourist industry. Visitor numbers were down in the months following the violence, but the sector has remained largely unaffected by political conflict on the island over the past decade. Yet investors have been watching and waiting to see if the violence following last year's election was a one-off aberration, or the catalyst which would trigger more widespread instability.

The potential of the tourist industry is there for all to see. From the beaches of Nungwi at the northern tip to the dolphin watching port of Kizimkazi in the south, Unguja has developed a sizeable tourist industry.

The island also boasts Zanzibar Town, with its central core of Stone Town, the renovated but living medieval core of the town, comprising a maze of alleyways, numerous historical buildings and fabulous views over the sea. The island and Stone Town itself offer an intriguing combination of Africa and the Middle East.

Other tourist attractions on the islands include tours of the island's spice plantations by local guides, the remains of Persian and Omani palaces, Indian Ocean beaches and excellent snorkelling and diving. There is also Jozani Forest with its monkeys and elusive leopards. All in all, the range of attractions makes for a very varied holiday.

Over development is the problem

The biggest problem, until the disturbances of the past year, was the threat of over-development.

The village of Nungwi, on the northernmost tip of the island, was a tiny collection of African houses and two small boat yards, where tourists could watch boat building techniques that are believed to have changed very little for at least 2,000 years. Today, a massive resort development is threatening the very idyll that attracted the tourists in the first place.

Locals generally welcome the tourist incursions, although they are not happy about the behaviour and dress of many of the tourists.

Inappropriate dress to many people in Zanzibar includes women wearing shorts or having their shoulders uncovered away from the beach, so the sight of Italian tourists trooping past mosques in their bikinis does nothing for their reputation.

The governments of Zanzibar and Tanzania both claim, with a great deal of justification, that political unrest on the islands has been kept away from the tourists, despite the close proximity of many tourist hotels to places used for political rallies. Many violent protests and riots have taken place within a mile or so of the popular Stone Town -- a popular destination for many tourists and the location of many of the more popular hotels. Despite the fact that tourists have not been targeted, the tourist trade is known as one of the most sensitive to political and security instability.

The drop in tourist numbers has also affected the boats plying between Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar Town. The dhows of a decade ago have now been completely replaced by four or five companies running modern ferries and hydrofoils. These are by far the most popular means of getting from the mainland to the islands and all report lower passenger numbers

Impact not yet felt

The impact of reduced tourist numbers has not just been felt on the islands. Twincentre holidays are very popular in Tanzania and these have also been badly hit. Visitors spend five to seven days on safari in and around the Serengeti National Park, followed by a week or so in Zanzibar. Some tourists also attempt to climb Mt Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa.

The greatest impact upon the tourist trade could be more difficult to measure. While most people in the west do not even know where it is, the name of Zanzibar evokes images of the mystical East, Indian Ocean beaches, tales of Sultans and the spice trade. As the main base for European incursions into eastern Africa for the first 90 years of the 19th century, it was from here that Burton, Livingstone and Speke planned and launched their expeditions into the interior.

The romanticism that the name Zanzibar can conjure up is worth a hundred marketing campaigns. The political situation needs to be settled if the name is to retain its effect. Tourism is a fickle industry.

It is only thanks to the sparse reporting of the election violence in the western media that the name of the islands has nor become associated with something more sinister.

RELATED ARTICLE: HOLIDAY INN OPENS IN DAR

Holiday Inn, the world's largest hotel group, opened its $14m, 152 bedroom hotel in Dar es Salaam last month. The hotel includes 10 executive rooms and two suites, and is conveniently located close to the city centre overlooking the botanical gardens.

Commenting on the development, Holiday Inn general manager Adam Fuller said: "Holiday Inn already operates in five African countries and Tanzania was an natural choice for further expansion because of its vibrant economy. Dar itself has become an increasingly important hub for international business, and the Holiday Inn will provide a respected and trusted venue for business visitors to the city, as well as a convenient and pleasant meeting place for people living here."

Rooms on the upper floors of the new hotel will offer panoramic views across the Indian Ocean and Botanical Gardens. Facilities include a fully equipped business centre, conference rooms, travel centre, restaurant and cocktail bar. An airport shuttle service is also offered.

Holiday Inn Dar es Salaam is owned and managed by Southern Sun Hotels Tanzania Ltd, a fully owned subsidiary of Southern Sun Hotels of South Africa.