Ukraine issues message of calm to attract foreign tourists
Kiev, Jan 31 (EFE).- Ukraine’s tourism industry has launched a campaign to attract visitors who have been discouraged by the border tensions with Russia.
The campaign under the motto “Keep calm and visit Ukraine” and insists that “there is no reason to panic, and the situation on the Ukrainian border remains under control”.
“Now it is especially important to popularize Ukraine in the world as an attractive, friendly, fantastic, special country,” according to the promoters, to help a sector that has been hit by the military tensions.
Ivan Liptsuga, a representative of the National Tourism Organization of Ukraine, told Efe that “operators dedicated to foreign tourism are seeing a massive cancellation of reservations for the coming months.”
“Everyone is waiting for what will happen, because nothing is defined and nobody knows how events will unfold,” Liptsuga added.
The drop in tourists visiting Ukraine over the past few months comes after the industry saw a boom 2021 driven by visitors from Moldova, Belarus, Russia, Poland and Romania, as well as a considerable increase in Saudi travelers, Liptsuga said.
The increase was such that Arabic made it to signs and menus of central Kiev’s Kozatsky. Despite the low season, “there are still Saudis who come to see the snow,” Tatiana, a receptionist, told Efe.
Now, this progress is hanging by a thread due to the conflict between Kiev and Moscow, which has deployed some 130,000 soldiers in areas near the Ukrainian border.
On Friday, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky called for an end to the panic created at the international level amid fears of war, as this has already had an impact on the country’s economy.
Amid these messages of reassurance, the campaign promises “entertainment for every taste, unique locations and attractions, unforgettable landscapes, cool events, delicious dishes”. EFE
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