ZANZIBAR— Tanzanian archipelago of Zanzibar is a preferred tourist destination for people from across the world.

It has emerged that Ukrainian tourists are a key group that have visited the region, a number are stuck there amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Zanzibar President Hussein Mwinyi, told local media in the country that stranded Ukrainian tourists had officially sought assistance of government in respect of their continued stay in the archipelago.

“It is true that Ukraine is an important place because Zanzibar receives a lot of tourists from that side. And according to the information I have, there are 900 Ukrainians currently living in Zanzibar.

“They cannot go back home. They have requested government assistance. They can no longer stay at the hotels because they don’t have money,” Mwinyi said.

Mwinyi said Zanzibar saw it a responsibility to support them given events back home disclosing that the government had entered arrangements with especially hoteliers to continue to grant them services for free.

He noted that government will repay the service providers with tax-related issues.

“There are some agreements that have started being implemented by hoteliers providing them with services for free. The government will in turn consider the hoteliers on tax-related issues.

“The truth is that we consider it important to provide support to these people whose compatriots are fleeing Ukraine. You cannot tell someone to go back to a country where others are fleeing. We have to find ways to help them,” he stressed.

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK