Donetsk Minister condemns package tours to war zone: A proposal from a Moscow-based tourist company to hire an armoured car and offer visitors a four-day guided tour of war-torn Donetsk has been condemned by Stanislav Vinokurov, deputy speaker of the Luhansk People’s Republic’s parliament and its Minister for Family, Youth, Sports and Tourism.
The idea for the four-day tours – which would probably cost between $2k and $3k – comes from Michael White and Anatoly Aronov, co-owners of the Megapolis Resort. “Many people are interested in what is happening in the Donbass,”Aronov said, adding that, with all the conflicting reports coming out of the region, there was a desire to see what was going on first hand. The tours could also be combined with the delivery of humanitarian aid, he suggested.
Vinokurov sounded genuinely shocked at the idea. “I support business initiative coming from the tourist industry,” he said. “But to make money out of what is happening here? I did not anticipate a proposal like this, especially coming from our Moscow colleagues and I do not support it. If our Russian brothers want to come and … support residents here spiritually and morally, we are ready to welcome them, to meet them and show them everything, but not for money.”
Donetsk Minister condemns package tours to war zone
Stanislav Vinokurov, Deputy Speaker Luhansk
Source: Izvestia