diff --git a/opencensus/trace/exporters/jaeger_exporter.py b/opencensus/trace/exporters/jaeger_exporter.py
index aa4878b0c..28b40eb3c 100644
--- a/opencensus/trace/exporters/jaeger_exporter.py
+++ b/opencensus/trace/exporters/jaeger_exporter.py
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 import logging
 import socket
 
+from six import text_type, string_types
 from thrift.protocol import TBinaryProtocol, TCompactProtocol
 from thrift.transport import THttpClient, TTransport
 
@@ -307,12 +308,14 @@ def _extract_tags(attr):
 
 def _convert_attribute_to_tag(key, attr):
     """Convert the attributes to jaeger tags."""
+    if isinstance(attr, string_types):
+        attr = attr.decode('utf8')
     if isinstance(attr, bool):
         return jaeger.Tag(
             key=key,
             vBool=attr,
             vType=jaeger.TagType.BOOL)
-    if isinstance(attr, str):
+    if isinstance(attr, text_type):
         return jaeger.Tag(
             key=key,
             vStr=attr,
diff --git a/opencensus/trace/exporters/zipkin_exporter.py b/opencensus/trace/exporters/zipkin_exporter.py
index bf7776995..26c959f01 100644
--- a/opencensus/trace/exporters/zipkin_exporter.py
+++ b/opencensus/trace/exporters/zipkin_exporter.py
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@
 
 import requests
 
+from six import text_type, string_types
+
 from opencensus.trace.exporters import base
 from opencensus.trace.exporters.transports import sync
 from opencensus.trace.utils import check_str_length
@@ -198,9 +200,11 @@ def _extract_tags_from_span(attr):
         return {}
     tags = {}
     for attribute_key, attribute_value in attr.items():
+        if isinstance(attribute_value, string_types):
+            attribute_value = attribute_value.decode('utf8')
         if isinstance(attribute_value, (int, bool)):
             value = str(attribute_value)
-        elif isinstance(attribute_value, str):
+        elif isinstance(attribute_value, text_type):
             res, _ = check_str_length(str_to_check=attribute_value)
             value = res
         else: