Dar es Salaam, December 1, 2025 – Long queues at Julius Nyerere Airport have stretched across terminals since early Monday as panicked tourists scramble to board flights out of Tanzania ahead of the nationwide protests planned for December 9. The sudden exodus has grounded dozens of safari bookings and hotel reservations, with airlines adding extra flights to cope with the surge in demand.
Airport officials reported that over 5,000 international visitors cleared immigration in the past 48 hours, a 300 per cent increase from last week’s figures. Families from Europe and the United States, many mid-vacation at Zanzibar beaches or Serengeti game reserves, have cut trips short, citing safety concerns amplified by social media warnings.
“We love Tanzania, but the protest alerts changed everything. Better safe than stuck in traffic chaos,” said British retiree Helen Hargreaves while dragging suitcases toward the Kenya Airways check-in counter.
The planned December 9 demonstrations, organised by a coalition of opposition parties and civil society groups under the banner “Tanzania Awakens”, aim to protest rising living costs, alleged election irregularities from 2025 polls, and restrictions on free speech. Leaders like Chadema party chairperson Tundu Lissu have vowed peaceful marches in major cities, including Dar es Salaam, Arusha, and Mwanza, but fears of government crackdowns have fuelled the tourist flight.
Tanzania’s tourism ministry, which contributes 17 per cent to the national GDP, issued a statement urging calm and highlighting that past protests rarely affected visitor areas. “Our security forces are prepared to ensure public order without disrupting economic sectors. Tourists are our priority,” said Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism Angella Geofrey during a hurried press conference at the airport’s VIP lounge.
Yet, the long queues at Julius Nyerere Airport tell a different story. Precision Air and Ethiopian Airlines have waived change fees for rebookings, while Fastjet suspended domestic routes to protest hotspots. Hotel occupancy in Stone Town has plummeted 60 per cent, forcing operators like the Zanzibar Serena to offer deep discounts.
Local guides in Arusha, home to Kilimanjaro treks, say bookings for next week’s climbs are down 80 per cent as climbers from South Africa and Germany opt for Uganda’s gorilla safaris instead.
Online forums like TripAdvisor and Reddit’s r/Tanzania are flooded with threads debating the risks. One American user posted, “Booked Maasai Mara extension but rerouted to Nairobi. December 9 protests sound too close for comfort.” Travel insurance claims have spiked, with Allianz confirming payouts for early departures averaging USD 1,200 per policy.
Economists warn that the tourist flight could cost Tanzania up to TSh 50 billion in lost revenue if protests escalate. The Bank of Tanzania has already revised its fourth-quarter growth forecast downward by 0.5 per cent, blaming external jitters.
Opposition figures accuse the government of exaggerating threats to deter demonstrators, while President Samia Suluhu Hassan appealed for dialogue in a televised address Sunday night. “We value our visitors as much as our citizens. Let us resolve differences through talks, not streets,” she urged.
As evening fell, the long queues at Julius Nyerere Airport snaked past duty-free shops selling Maasai beadwork and coffee blends now gathering dust. Taxi drivers outside the arrivals hall, usually bustling with pickups, sat idle, nursing sodas. One veteran cabbie, Juma Ali, shook his head. “Seen this before in 2019. Tourists come back eventually, but the empty rooms hurt now.”
International carriers like Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines have bolstered schedules, with Doha and Istanbul emerging as popular stopovers for rerouted Europeans. The U.S. State Department updated its advisory to Level 2, urging “increased caution” in urban areas, while the UK Foreign Office echoed similar advice.
For Tanzania’s safari lodges and spice tour operators, the December 9 shadow looms large. Marketing campaigns now pivot to “post-protest paradise” promotions, promising 20 per cent off for January bookings. As the sun set over the Indian Ocean, a final wave of harried families boarded a Lufthansa flight, leaving behind half-empty lounges and a nation bracing for change.
The long queues at Julius Nyerere Airport serve as a stark reminder of how fragile tourism’s lifeline can be amid political unrest. With protests just eight days away, Tanzania walks a tightrope between asserting democratic rights and safeguarding the visitors who fuel its dreams. Whether the demonstrations unfold peacefully or spark wider turmoil will shape not just headlines but holiday itineraries for years to come.