A Fresh Framework for National Tourism Policy
Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers has approved Resolution No. 1003, setting new guidelines for how the government shapes and implements policy in the tourism and resort sectors. From now on, the Ministry of Culture will lead these efforts, bringing tourism into the country's humanitarian policy sphere. In practice, this places tourism and culture under the same ministerial umbrella. The decision is meant to strengthen the culture-tourism connection, which could expand travel opportunities across Ukraine.
Making Tourism Part of Humanitarian Policy
Tetiana Berezhna, Vice Prime Minister for Humanitarian Policy and Minister of Culture of Ukraine, said that despite the current challenges, Ukraine has enormous tourism potential. "When people travel through our country, they discover its culture, history, cities, nature, and people. Tourism can become one of the important tools for regional recovery, community development, and local entrepreneurship. Together with DART, we will shape a systematic state policy that helps develop tourism products and infrastructure and strengthens international interest in Ukraine," she said.
DART will continue its work in close cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and other government agencies. Its main tasks will be:
- maintaining records of Ukraine's tourism resources and ensuring their rational use and protection;
- developing tourism infrastructure;
- conducting tourism market research;
- promoting Ukraine's travel opportunities at home and abroad.
Nataliia Tabaka, the head of DART, underscored that moving tourism into the humanitarian block was a logical step because both culture and tourism rely on the state's most important resource — its people. She said: "The integration of tourism into the humanitarian block is a logical move, as culture and tourism work with the state's main resource — people." The state's tourism policy priority remains building a competitive, transparent, safe, digitalized, and resilient tourism ecosystem that is integrated into the European space.
Further work by DART, in partnership with the Ministry of Culture and other authorities, will aim at improving professional standards for tourist guides and developing and implementing program documents for the tourism and resort sectors. This should make tourism opportunities more accessible to Ukrainian citizens and foreign visitors alike.
This resolution reflects Ukraine's ambition to embed tourism in a broader humanitarian policy framework. That could help not only develop tourism infrastructure but also restore the economies of affected regions after the crisis. The new approach is expected to create a more organized and competitive tourism environment that meets European standards, draws more foreign tourists, and strengthens Ukraine's image as a country with a rich cultural heritage and abundant natural assets.
As the Ministry of Culture takes charge of tourism, the importance of protecting natural resources becomes increasingly evident. For instance, recent statements from DART emphasize the need to safeguard protected areas from activities like off-roading, which can threaten Ukraine's unique landscapes. To understand the implications of these environmental concerns on tourism, you can read more about DART's stance on off-roading in protected areas.