Zanzibar is safe and calm, says tourism minister

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania:

The Zanzibar government has assured its visitors, travel agents, tour operators, and other trade professionals that the Island nation is safe.

In the statement issued by the Zanzibar Minister for Tourism and Heritage, Simai Mohammed Said confirmed that there is no unrest in Isles and assured that the island is calm, with fine weather, and that both local Zanzibaris and tourists are going about their business as usual.

 “The Ministry welcomes visitors with assurance that Zanzibar continues to be a safe and secure destination,” Simai said in a statement.

The statement is a response to what Dutch airline KLM’s statement announced that the airline was cancelling flights to Tanzania due to social unrest.

His remarks emerged as an addition to the statement issued by the government that dismissed false claims being spread by some foreign institutions and companies that there is civil unrest in Tanzania.

 A statement was made available on KLM website on Friday (January 27 this year) when communicating the cancellation of flights scheduled to arrive at Julius Nyerere International Airport and Kilimanjaro International Airport.

However, on Sunday KLM officially apologised to the government of Tanzania, following the unfounded and baseless claims they issued on Friday, indicating that the country is embroiled in civil unrest.

Minister for Works and Transport, Prof Makame Mbarawa said in a statement released to the media yesterday that the ministry had received an official apology from Air France-KLM Country Manager, Tanzania, Mr Alexander Van de Wint.

Along with the formal apology, KLM informed the Minister that its flights to Zanzibar have resumed with immediate effect, while flights to Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro (KL515 AMS-ZNZ-DAR-AMS) will resume today.