Chernobyl, the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster which resulted in thousands of deaths, is to become an official tourist attraction, Ukraine's president has announced.
Once at the centre of a 1,000-square-mile exclusion zone, Chernobyl has seen a sharp rise in visitors since an HBO mini-series about the tragedy aired earlier this year. And according to"We must give this territory of Ukraine a new life," Zelensky said as he signed a decree on Wednesday."Until now, Chernobyl was a negative part of Ukraine's brand. It's time to change it.
While many might imagine the region as bleak and desolate, the president praised its environmental regeneration. Officially designating the site as a tourist attraction will hopefully mean an end to corruption in the area, where black market practices are common, according to the president. The president said black market practices would be stamped out with the introduction of electronic ticketing."Unfortunately, the exclusion zone is also a symbol of corruption in Ukraine," he said."These are bribes that security officials collect from tourists, the illegal export of scrap and the use of natural resources.
"Groundless restrictions and prohibitions" such as the ban on filming will be abolished while mobile communication will be improved.
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