24/10/0
This year, the travel fair "Ukraine" doubled its exhibition space compared to last year. The number of exhibitors also increased significantly. More than 500 companies from 34 countries gathered under the Kyiv chestnuts to discuss plans and prospects for the upcoming season. For the first time at the travel fair, expositions from all regions of Ukraine were presented under the common title "Take a Vacation in Ukraine!".
The exhibition was a feast for the eyes with an abundance of colorful presentations and a lively mutual interest between participants and visitors. As usual, we asked what new things tourism professionals will delight us with in the near future. We also wanted to learn from foreign representatives how our Ukrainian tourist differs from tourists from other countries.
Wojciech Kodłubański, Vice-Chairman of the Polish Tourist Organization:
- This year, we invite you to visit our country under the motto "Poland - Encounters with Culture." Last year, Poland received about $5 billion from tourism. According to the visitor ranking, our country is in 12th place in the world. Poland has many unique historical monuments. These include castles, wooden architecture monuments - village churches and chapels, small towns with their unique architecture. Currently, dozens of routes have been developed along the "golden ring" of Polish cities. For example, a journey to the Land of the Teutonic Knights - visiting the largest Gothic castle in the world, Malbork. And, of course, as always, many tourists will visit Warsaw, Krakow, and Wroclaw in the fall. In winter, our ski resorts await everyone - the famous resort in Zakopane and more modest ones in the Sudetes. And in summer, many can discover beautiful resorts on the Polish coast.
The Ukrainian tourist in Poland is primarily families with children; it is cultural tourism and winter holidays. Separate mention should be made of school excursion tours and weekend youth trips.
This year we opened a representative office in Moscow, and next year we hope to do the same in Kyiv. Then, of course, we will be able to acquaint Ukrainian tourists in more detail with the highlights of the Polish tourism market.
José Perramón, Director of the Tourism Representation Offices of Catalonia in Eastern European countries:
- Next year, Catalonia has prepared several very interesting events for its guests. First, in May 2004, a grand Forum of Cultures will take place. Over five million participants will come. It is a gathering of Earthlings - people who live on this planet. Representatives of all nations of the world will meet in Catalonia! The whole country is preparing for this unprecedented event. More than 15,000 people are involved in the preparation for the Forum. Those lucky enough to visit our region during these days will witness the most amazing and exciting spectacle imaginable!
Second, 2004 has been declared the Year of Salvador Dalí. Approximately 80% of all tourists visit the famous Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres. But other Dalí museums and the Tower of Galatea will also be ready to welcome guests.
And finally, we have the Year of Gastronomic Culture. Perhaps this is not as significant an event as the previous two, but as everyone knows, Catalan cuisine is loved by many tourists around the world. Last year, the Days of Catalan Cuisine in Moscow were a great success, so we are thinking of organizing such days in Kyiv next year as well.
Our Kyiv office has been working in Ukraine for ten years. More and more Ukrainian tourists are visiting Catalonia. I would like to note that they are very demanding regarding the quality of service. Moreover, they are active and curious: for example, if a French tourist usually buys one excursion, a Ukrainian buys three. This is noted by everyone involved in the tourism business. Ukrainians also love to eat and know what they are doing. They quickly get used to enjoying tasty snails and washing them down with first-class Catalan wine. And they will never agree to lower food quality! In this, they are very similar to the Spanish.
Svitlana Kabysh, Director of the Information Bureau "Uhorcsina-Tourism" at the Commercial Department of the Hungarian Embassy in Ukraine:
- The golden autumn season is the best time for cultural tours. Hungary can offer a whole kaleidoscope of such journeys. At this time of year, numerous holidays and festivals take place across the country: famous gastronomic festivals (such as the Tokaji Wine Festival or the Sausage Festival in Csaba), various folklore shows, concerts, and much more. And, of course, the pearl of the Danube, magical Budapest, always awaits you.
The National Tourism Office of Hungary holds special meetings twice a year to analyze tourist flows. Staff members at representative offices give brief descriptions of their tourists and share observations and impressions. Hungary is visited by a wide variety of tourists. Italian youth arrive in noisy bus groups - in torn jeans, sneakers with colorful laces, and worn pocket guidebooks. Family Dutch tireless drive around the country in their vans. Elderly German grandmothers and grandfathers relax and often undergo serious treatment at thermal resorts. And finally, Ukrainian families. The Ukrainian tourist in Hungary must be loved! Many of them come, they love to travel around the country by bus routes. Ukrainian tourists always take excursions to many cities. They are unpretentious and sincerely enjoy the abundance of impressions.
A special category of tourists is children. Nowadays, teenagers from different countries are becoming more and more similar. And in terms of their joyful attitude towards everything around them, they are probably the most rewarding category of tourists!
Konstantin Kinel, PR & Marketing Representative, Tourism Authority of Thailand:
- Thailand traditionally enjoys unwavering interest from tourists around the world. Last year, Thailand was visited by about 70 thousand guests from Russia, 6 thousand from Ukraine, and slightly fewer from Kazakhstan. Perhaps this explains the fact that the Thai government has allowed citizens of only these three countries from all the former CIS states to obtain visas at the airport upon arrival. A big step forward in the development of Ukrainian-Thai tourism relations is the establishment of regular air service between Kyiv and Bangkok. Currently, there is only one flight per week, but closer to the New Year there will be more such flights.
Judging by the abundance of Thai company stands at this exhibition, interest in the Ukrainian market has grown significantly. But most interestingly, the Thai people are also developing an interest in visiting Ukraine. This is gratifying, as Thais are very meticulous about visits to other countries.
In addition to classic beach holidays, we would like to offer diving in Thailand and very interesting cultural tours. For example, to northern Thailand, the cradle of Thai civilization. Special attention is paid to the development of active tourism – mountain tourism, diving, trekking, and visits to national reserves. Furthermore, we continue to actively promote Thai trade festivals, especially the two largest ones in June and December, when tourists can buy a wide variety of national products at very low prices.
Among the novelties of the upcoming season is such a unique type of tourism as elephant trekking. These trips are designed for a period from three days to a week. Elephant caravans pass through the most picturesque places: along rivers, with stops in local villages where various tribes live. By the way, Ukrainian tourists are characterized by an active approach to recreation, a desire for something new. All new excursions, rafting, mountain tourism – these are for him. So, I think the first group to go on an elephant trip will be Ukrainian!
Arto Asikainen, Director of the Representative Office of «MEC-CENTER for Tourism Development of Finland»:
- In our immediate plans is a worthy welcome for everyone who comes to Finland this winter. Don't forget – Santa Claus lives in Finland! But considering more serious prospects, our goal is to show that Finland is a country for year-round holidays. You can enjoy active recreation and entertainment both in winter and summer. In winter, you will experience a real winter, and in summer, the gentle warmth of the sun. Today in Finland, there is a wide network of water parks and hydrotherapy centers, many wonderful amusement parks in summer, and excellent ski resorts in winter. Summer holidays on lakes are gradually gaining popularity: swimming, fishing. By the way, do you know how many lakes there are in Finland? Over 187 thousand! So Finland is not just the Land of a Thousand Lakes, but rather the Land of a Hundred Thousand Lakes. Our resorts are especially good for family vacations.
Currently, the share of tourists from Ukraine is small; significantly more guests come to us from Sweden, Russia, Germany, Great Britain, Norway. Nevertheless, we notice a trend of growth in Ukrainian tourists. Mostly families with children come, and primarily to winter resorts. For example, the Rura resort in Kuusamo can already be considered 'Ukrainian'.
Contrary to popular belief, there is no 'dead' season in tourism. The period of summer hyperactivity is replaced by a period of thoughtful analysis and development of new plans. It is at autumn tourism fairs that preparations for the summer season take place – the main package of orders is formed, contracts are concluded, negotiations are conducted with foreign partners. Let us wish good luck to everyone who has taken on the great work of taking care of our leisure!