Homework #2

done by Pavliukova Valeriia

Problems and prospects of tourism development in Ukraine
Ukraine is open for tourism on all fronts: food tourism, eco-tourism, winter
tourism, sea tourism, cultural tourism, as well as different events and festivals.
The modern tourist industry remains one of the largest sectors of the world
economy. International tourism today is one of the most profitable and fast-growing
sectors of the world economy. According to the World Tourism Barometer of
International Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the number of international tourist
arrivals in the world in 2019 increased by 6.7% These data suggest a steady increase
in the relevance of tourism in the world.
Ukraine prides itself on being the largest country within Europe and is just 3
hours from many of the main capitals. Of special note is the Odessa opera which is
ranked as one of the top 5 operas in the world and the Oleshky Sands – the only
desert in Europe. Ukrainian food is one of the richest national cuisines on the planet,
and it is the most affordable touristic destination in Europe.
Here, visitors may discover its rich land with 7 UNESCO Heritage sites;
20,000 lakes; 11 million hectares of forest; 71,000 rivers and streams; over 100,000
meters of snowy slopes; and 500 kilometers of beaches and resorts. On the more
tactile front, there are 30,000 churches and parishes along with 23,000 kilometers of
railways just waiting to be explored.
However, the underdeveloped infrastructure base and the disadvantages of the
legal regulation of the tourism industry have led to the fact that Ukraine occupies a
small place in the world tourism industry. The tourist industry of Ukraine is
characterized by a significant advance in the imports of tourism services over exports.
In 2014–2015, the tourist market of Ukraine has undergone serious trials. The
change of power, the revolution, the annexation of the Crimea, the anti-terrorist
operation in the East, the devaluation of the national currency, and the decline of the
living standards of the population, – all of these factors have had a negative impact
on the tourism industry and on the overall image of our country abroad. The demand
for tourism has fallen by 70%. Since then, the number of people traveling to Ukraine
has risen every year, getting to 16.5 million in 2019.
The effects of the EuroMaidan Revolution, war, political turbulence, and
economic instability have taken a heavy toll on Ukraine’s entire economy, but some
sectors are already on the rebound.
With underdeveloped air travel, Ukrainians opt for cheaper railways and bus
services. Ukraine already has the low-cost airline WizzAir; and Irish giant Ryanair is
to start flights in previous year. But to lure more such companies, Ukraine needs to
build quality international airports for them.
But many Ukrainians still prefer domestic vacations — luckily for hotels and
resorts in the Carpathians, Lviv, Odessa. Many of Ukraine’s regions that hadn’t seen
themselves as being tourist destinations have developed an interest in the sphere, and
started offering industrial, gastronomical, ecotourism destinations.
Ukraine objectively has a huge tourism potential which unfortunately is not
used very effectively. The reasons of this is a hard socio-economic situation in the
country, not adjusted policy regarding to machinery of stimulating tourism industry,
the lack of an effective strategy for the development of the industry at both the
national and regional levels. The situation in the tourism sector in recent years
requires the active search for ways to overcome the crisis and improve manufacturing
tourism product with the required quality.