Ethnically a mix of Ukrainian and Russian, Europe's second largest country has strong village and folk traditions; a beautiful Black Sea coast along the Crimea; and vibrant cities (capital Kyiv being the largest).

Sadly, however, due to the damage wrought since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin's Russia, travel to Ukraine has become all but impossible. We of course fervently hope that better days are around the corner.

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Ukraine tourism and the war – plus a look at its terrific allures for visitors

  Andriy155  Just over seven months in from the brutal, unprovoked invasion of much of Ukraine’s east and south by Russia (about 20 percent of the country’s territory), the tide has turned, seemingly decisively, in the defenders’ favor, barring a catastrophic development such as a decision by dictator Vladimir Putin to use a battlefield nuclear weapon. Before the war, Ukraine received some 10 million visitors a year (it was 20 million before Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 without a shot being…

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Ukrainian culture front/center as Kalush Orchestra wins Eurovision 2022

  EBU/Rai Travel and music festivals go hand in hand, of course! And though I haven't yet attended the annual Eurovision song contest in person, ever since I started traveling to Europe in 1977 – well before American Idol, The Voice, or The X Factor – it's always been a big deal for more than a few of my Old World friends and acquaintances (not to mention the local media). I got to watch it several times surrounded by Europeans (most recently last night), and I must say, the enthusiasm…

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In Odessa, the Il DeCameron Hotel is an amazing address

Eastern European tourism has of course been booming in the past decade, and will no doubt recover much of its popularity as the world emerges from coronavirus/COVID-19 lockdown and people begin traveling more again. But the country of Ukraine - Europe's biggest after Russia - has remained more under the tourism radar, attracting a relatively modest 10 million or so visitors in recent years, a good chunk of those business rather than leisure travelers. Part of this is down probably to poor…

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  • I follow matters many matters UNESCO, and noticed this, as Ukraine marks two years of fighting for its existence against the invasion of Russia: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/unesco-says-9-billion-needed-r...
    UNESCO says $9 billion needed to revive Ukraine tourism, culture sectors
    Ukraine will need $9 billion over 10 years for its culture and tourism sectors to recover, the United Nations' cultural agency said on Tuesday, addin…
  • eTurboNews just this week published an overview snapshot of the current tourism situation in Ukraine - and as you can easily imagine, the news isn´t good: https://eturbonews.com/ukraine-war-tourism-a-wtn-hero-shows-a-way-f...
  • An inspiring story... https://www.euronews.com/travel/2023/03/06/inside-the-ukrainian-ski...
    Ukraine’s largest ski resort offers ‘respite’ from the war
    Bukovel is the largest ski resort in the country with 75 kilometres of pistes and 17 lifts.
  • Here´s a fascinating look from the Guardian at what´s happening this summer in the tourism areas of Odesa: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/21/escapism-alive-odesa-...
    ‘We try to keep a good mood’: escapism alive in Odesa’s resorts despite Russian onslaught | Ukraine…
    Repeated attacks this week on southern Ukrainian city stand in contrast with the vestiges of summer life in its beach areas
  • Wow, it turns out Ukraine tourism is doing quite nicely these days despite everything: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/ukraine-tourism-busy-war
    https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/ukraine-tourism-busy-war
  • Since the Russian invasion, I've always feared for Ukraine's eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and now comes word that UNESCO has indeed put one of them - the historic centre of Odesa - in its "endangered" category thanks to Russian bombing. A sad state of affairs indeed, and yet another reason I really hope this bloody war will be over in 2023: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64408145
    Ukraine's Odesa designated Unesco World Heritage site
    While Ukraine welcomes the decision, Russia says Unesco's move is 'politically motivated'.
  • It seems the war has attracted a certain number of "voluntourists," but the phenomenon has become problematic: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/ukraine-volunteer-touris...
    Ukraine volunteer tourism comes with problems
    The war in Ukraine has attracted an influx of volunteers in Ukraine's favor. While most of these volunteers have been great, some have been more inte…
  • With everyone on edge about the possibility of Russia invading Ukraine, a couple of weeks ago a website launched last November called VisitUkraine.Today comes out with a post entitled "Keep Calm and Visit Ukraine."As this article from U.S. travel industry watcher Skift points out, turns out it's not from the Ukrainian tourism board but rather a travel insurance company! Jeez. https://skift.com/2022/02/02/the-curious-push-for-ukraine-tourism-o...

    In the meantime, while tourism is not exactly dead at the moment, it seems to be under strain, with countries such as South Korea banning travel to Ukraine and some flights being canceled because airline insurance carriers are withdrawing coverage. So...keep calm? Sure. Visit Ukraine? Maybe hold off just a bit, eh?
    The Curious Push for Ukraine Tourism on the Cusp of War
    A destination promoting tourism at a time of potentially imminent armed conflict: a joke, a marketing campaign gone awry or a political statement per…
  • Interesting article about travel to Ukraine with historical perspectives on GoNomad.com this week...
  • March 24th to 26th: Ukraine International Travel & Tourism Show at the International Exhibition Center (15, Brovarsky Prospect, Kiev, Ukraine).
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