According to Reuters, Ukraine's National Tourism Development Agency (SATD) has partnerships with major tourism companies such as Airbnb, Expedia and Visitberlin. The head of the Russian Ministry of National Development, Marianna Oleskyv, revealed that the agency's goal is to position the Eastern European country as a tourist destination whenever the current conflict with Russia ends.
One of the key initiatives was the creation of a war site route that would run from Irpin, near the capital, Kyiv, to Chernobyl, the site of the world-famous nuclear disaster, passing through the cities of Bucha and Hostomel. Oreskiv stressed the importance of confronting and sharing the country's trauma with future generations and international visitors.
"The easiest way is to forget, but then you need to overcome this trauma, and we first need to tell the next generation, but also to international tourists," she told reporters at a travel fair in Berlin. ”
Unfortunately, the armed conflict triggered by Russia's violent invasion of sovereign Ukraine in February 2022 shows no end in sight. However, SATD wants to be ready when it arrives. The company is actively seeking partnerships with other travel platforms and is currently in talks with TripAdvisor and hopes to partner with Bookingcom cooperation.
The overall goal is to prepare a business platform and target audience for post-peace activities that will facilitate a surge in tourism beyond pre-war levels. "So, we hope, and this is what we are working towards, that there are more tourists than before," Oleskov explained. ”
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) estimates that $9 billion will be needed to restore Ukraine's culture and tourism sector over a decade's time. Over the past two years, the war has taken a staggering $19.6 billion toll on the country's tourism industry.
The hotel industry is not the main sector for foreign investment, but we have several investors **interested in a possible future business in Ukraine," Oleskov said, but he did not name potential investors.
Despite the challenges, Ukraine's domestic tourism industry last year** was close to 2021 levels, and the National Tourism Administration is focusing on nurturing this market. Interestingly, according to a study by SATD, only 20% of Ukrainians avoid traveling within the country due to safety concerns.