27 September 2010, 10:04
Mykola Tomenko: Development of Tourism in Ukraine should be intended first of all for Ukrainians, not the Foreigners
Mykola Tomenko, Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, made this statement during the morning program on "Channel 5" dedicated to the International Tourism Day.
M. Tomenko declared that one of the leading directions of tourism development was the formation of Ukraine´s image in the world and attraction of foreigners to Ukraine. "In fact, it is necessary to develop tourism for our citizens, first of all, and later on - for the foreign visitors", he emphasised.
Asked about the state tourism policy focused on the organization of the tourist routs for EURO-2012, M. Tomenko answered that this statement was not absolutely right. "It is obvious that the majority of sport fans visit Ukraine exclusively for the football matches and having fun in the host cities. Thus, these tourist routs should be developed for permanent use, not only for the football fans", the Deputy Chairman explained.
Speaking on the prospects of the tourism development, the Deputy Chairman of the Parliament called for "developing green tourism, especially in the central Ukraine, thinking not only about health improvement, but also about hiking in the Carpathians, active development of tourism in the southern part of Ukraine Buh river, Askania Nova and the biggest in Europe Oleshkivska desert."
According to M. Tomenko, situation in the Crimea is critical. "For the present moment, the Crimean peninsula is a holiday destination for the officials, businessmen and Russians feeling nostalgic for the Soviet Union ", he emphasised. If the Crimea fails to become a tourist destination for general public, it is doomed to a failure. The Deputy Chairman called for developing the peninsula as an all-year resort, ordering the private buildings that block the access to the sea and providing comrtable accommodation.
"As to the winter tourism, one should think not only of constructing expensive sports facilities for non-existing kinds of sports in the Carpathians, but also of arranging favorable investment conditions to build ski resorts of Bukovel standard in Zakarpattia, Chernivtsi and Lviv regions ", Mykola Tomenko declared.
In general, the Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada is convinced that Ukraine can become one of the most tourism-friendly countries in Europe, provided the governmental support and the normal investment conditions are arranged.