Closed House of Wonders museum: Implications to the tourism of Zanzibar Stone Town, UNESCO World Heritage Site

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of the closed House of Wonders Museum in the tourism industry of Stone Town, Zanzibar. The paper aims to propose the best practices taken into account due to the impact raised by the closure of the Museum. There has been no clear information on the overall situation which faces the site since 2012 when the Museum closed. Data collected through mixed methods, including the sample size of 105 tourists who visited the House of Wonders Museum, 8 Government Official, 6 Tour Guides and 8 Tour Operators. The findings show that the closed museum has affected the level of tourists’ satisfaction, tour operators, community and tour guides economically. The paper recommends quick rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Museum to save the integrity and authenticity of this World Heritage Site.