File photo shows a boat passes in the sea during the sunset near Zanzibar, Tanzania, on Oct. 27, 2015. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)
Tanzania's Zanzibar authorities on Saturday announced reopening of tourism activities after they were shut down on March 20 following the outbreak of COVID-19.
DAR ES SALAAM, June 6 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's Zanzibar authorities on Saturday announced reopening of tourism activities after they were shut down on March 20 following the outbreak of COVID-19.
"Zanzibar today has opened its tourism activities to normal both for charter flights and scheduled flights," said Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, Zanzibar's Minister of Information, Tourism and Heritage.
"All tourist hotels, restaurants and bars in Zanzibar are open from today," Kombo told Xinhua when reached by phone.
Kombo added all travelers to Zanzibar should hold medical health insurance and they should follow strict guidelines on prevention of COVID-19 imposed by Zanzibar health authorities.
He said arriving travelers will undergo screening at entry points and those found with symptoms will be sent to a designated isolation center for further tests.
On March 20, Tanzania's Zanzibar authorities announced the shutting down of all tourist hotels and a ban on all tourist flights as protective measures against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tourism is Zanzibar's largest economic sector and essential for local socioeconomic stability.