Impact of Statistical Information on Tourism SMEs in Zanzibar

Last registered on April 24, 2026
View Trial History

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Impact of Statistical Information on Tourism SMEs in Zanzibar
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0018410
Initial registration date
April 19, 2026

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
April 24, 2026, 8:48 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Country
Tanzania, United Republic of
Region
Zanzibar

Primary Investigator

Name
Minjin KANG
Affiliation
KDI School of Public Policy and Management
Contact Primary Investigator

Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
David Sungho PARK
PI Affiliation
KDI School of Public Policy and Management
Contact Investigator

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2025-10-02
End date
2026-10-01
Keywords
Firms & Productivity
Additional Keywords
Information Provision, Tourism SMEs, Business Decision-making, Firm Performance
JEL code(s)
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
We conduct a randomized controlled trial with 500 tourism-related SMEs in Zanzibar to estimate the effects of statistical information on managerial decision-making and business performance. Participating SMEs are randomly assigned either to receive tourism statistics — such as visitor trends, tourist profiles (nationality, gender, and age), and average length of stay — twice monthly via digital channels, or to a no-information control group. This study contributes to the literature on information interventions in developing economies, extending beyond primary industries and manufacturing. For policymakers, it provides a model that other low- and middle-income countries can adapt, highlighting how existing data infrastructures can be leveraged to strengthen private-sector performance without requiring large-scale new investments.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
KANG, Minjin and David Sungho PARK. 2026. "Impact of Statistical Information on Tourism SMEs in Zanzibar." AEA RCT Registry. April 24. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.18410-1.0
Sponsors & Partners

Sponsors

Partner

Name
Zanzibar Commission For Tourism
Type
government
URL
https://zct.co.tz/
Name
Office of the Chief Government Statistician Zanzibar
Type
government
URL
https://www.ocgs.go.tz/
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
The treatment group receives curated infographic summaries of official tourism statistics via SMS, WhatsApp, and email twice a month over a three-month. Official statistics are released monthly by the Office of the Chief Government Statistician Zanzibar (OCGS); each summary includes monthly visitor trends, tourist profiles (nationality, gender, and age), average length of stay, entry points, and bed occupancy rates. The materials are designed to be accessible and actionable for SME owners, with practical insights on seasonal demand patterns and market conditions.
Intervention Start Date
2026-01-11
Intervention End Date
2026-03-29

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
a. Statistical information utilization: reading frequency, use in decision-making, and areas of application.
b. Business operation adjustments: procurement, staffing, pricing, product mix, and marketing.
c. Economic performance: revenue, profit, number of customers, year-on-year comparisons of sales and customers relative to the same months in 2025, and willingness to pay for a tourism statistics app.
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
We will randomly select 500 SMEs from the official registry of the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism (ZCT), covering sub-sectors including hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops, tour operators, and car rentals. Firms are randomly assigned to a treatment group (250 SMEs) that receives curated summaries of official tourism statistics along with short engagement messages, or to a control group (250 SMEs) that receives no information during the study period. The baseline and endline surveys are administered by phone and in-person visits by DAMAX Solutions, a local survey and research consulting agency, collect in basic firm characteristics, statistical information utilization, business operations, and economic performance.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomization was conducted in Stata using a computer-generated random assignment. Firms were stratified by business type (hotel, restaurant, and other) and ZCT registry status. Within each stratum, firms were sorted by a randomly generated uniform variable and assigned to treatment and control groups via alternating allocation.
Randomization Unit
Individual firm (SMEs)
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
500 SMEs
Sample size: planned number of observations
1,000 SME-survey rounds (500 SMEs × 2 rounds: baseline and endline)
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
250 SMEs treatment, 250 SMEs control
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Office of the Chief Government Statistician, Zanzibar (OCGS)
IRB Approval Date
2025-10-06
IRB Approval Number
2001709279252234552734
IRB Name
KDI School of Public Policy and Management
IRB Approval Date
2025-09-29
IRB Approval Number
2025-20
Analysis Plan