The number of overseas tourists visiting the Indian Ocean archipelago of Zanzibar increased by 8 percent in 2005 to reach 125,443, according to the Zanzibar Tourism Commission.

Commission Chairman Issa Ahmed Othman told local media on Monday that improvement on tourist facilities and services had attributed to the increase of the number of overseas tourists.

The contribution by the tourism sector toward Zanzibar's economy has also risen to account for one fifth of the gross domestic product.

Othman said that his commission is striving to improve the tourist environment in the isles so as to attract more tourists all year round, according to reports reaching here.

At the time being, the months between October and January are the on-season of tourism.

Zanzibar intends to turn into sightseeing spots some of the isles' historical sites related to missionary and explorer David Livingstone whose corpse was sent home via Zanzibar after he died in 1873 in Zambia.

Source: Xinhua