u/FreedomseekerCV

Hi everyone,

I’m an EU citizen and have visited Zanzibar several times. I’m now considering testing a small tourism-related service there and would really appreciate insights from people with real-world experience.

Here’s my situation:

1. I don’t want to give up my residency in my home country for now (at least not within the next 12–24 months).
2. I can spend up to ~7 months abroad per year, but I need to be in my home country for about 5 months annually.
3. The business would require a tourism licence, and I would need to work with 1–2 local professionals (likely as independent contractors) for operational delivery.
4. My role would be limited to marketing, client acquisition, and coordination.
5. Ideally, I want to proceed in a way that is as compliant as possible, but with low commitment initially, in case the idea doesn’t work.
   • Is there any way to legally test a concept short-term (e.g. a couple of months) before setting up a company?
6. If I were to set up a sole proprietorship in my home country, what practical issues would that actually solve (beyond tax/invoicing), given that operations take place in Tanzania?
7. From what I understand, neither a tourist visa nor a business visa fully covers running a tourism activity locally.
8. Would it be compliant to act purely as a coordinator/marketer while local licensed partners deliver the service?
9. If the idea doesn’t work, I would simply stop and return home.

In short:
I’m trying to find a path that is legally sound, but also allows me to test the business with minimal risk and commitment.

👉 How do foreign entrepreneurs in the tourism space actually operate in Zanzibar in the early stages?
👉 Any practical advice or lessons learned would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!