Carpathocentrism, safety minimum in hotels, health care: how the war changed the tourist priorities of Ukrainians

The war forced Ukrainians to reconsider their attitude to rest. If at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, most people did not even think about trips, beaches and recovery, now domestic tourism is beginning to revive, taking on new forms and priorities. Despite the difficult circumstances that limit opportunities for travel, Ukrainians still find ways to relax, adapting their vacations to wartime conditions. How tourism in Ukraine became under the influence of the war and what trends shape this market today, we will consider further.

How has tourism changed?

First of all, the demographic profile of vacationers has changed. Currently, these are mostly women with children, or elderly married couples. Secondly, the priority places for vacations have changed. According to the survey Ribas Hotelsgroup, Ukrainians most often choose Transcarpathia (12%) and Lviv region (11%) for domestic tourism, which allows us to talk about the Carpathocentricity of Ukrainians’ recreation. Picturesque mountain landscapes, fresh air, healing springs, mild climate – this is what attracts Ukrainians to Carpathian villages. However, locals complain: the level of requirements for recreation among visitors has increased. It is probably due to the lack of traditional beach vacations that Ukrainians were used to in the pre-war period. Therefore, tourists demand that the owners of estates arrange swimming pools. In tourist Facebook groups, there are more and more requests for holidays in the mountains with a swimming pool. Traditional walks in the forest for mountain recreation give way to swimming in improvised reservoirs. When you “swim”, sitting in the cabin of the cable car of the village of Slavske, above the courtyards, you can see how much pool recreation has taken root here in the last two years.

It is known that before the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, there were more than 350 beaches near rivers and lakes and about 190 beaches on the coasts of the Black and Azov seas. Currently, according to regional administrations, only 168 beaches in 15 regions remain accessible. So the needs remained, but the method of their satisfaction became different.

In an effort to restore mental health

The motivation of those who decided not to stay at home during the vacation has also changed. According to the aforementioned survey, 41% of Ukrainians went on vacation to support their mental health, 38% temporarily left their homes to gain fresh impressions and see new places. Nowadays, awareness of the importance of maintaining mental health has become a key factor for many Ukrainians. In the conditions of constant stress and uncertainty caused by war, the opportunity to change the situation, even if only for a short time, became necessary to restore internal balance and maintain life stability.

Safety minimum of tourist facilities

In the conditions of the war, demands for the “safety minimum” of hotels, recreation centers, sanatoriums, where Ukrainians stay for rest, also increased. These are, first of all, shelters or bunkers near tourist facilities (75% of respondents); stockpiles of water and food in case of emergencies (64%); emergency communication and notification systems (62%); informing guests about security measures (60%); evacuation plans (59%); staff training in providing first aid (57%) and organizing evacuation in case of an emergency (56%).

Rest +

We can even talk about an increase in the pickiness of Ukrainian tourists for places of recreation. Tasting of local products and dishes (41% of vacationers), excursions to places of interest and cultural monuments (35%), wellness and treatment programs (33%), as well as the hotel’s mobile application with extended functionality ( 28%). In addition, 85% of respondents said that they are ready to choose a hotel they did not know before, if it offers at least one of these additional services.

In general, 85% of Ukrainians positively assess the opportunity to rest in Ukraine without going abroad. According to the State Tourism Development Agency of Ukraine, only the first quarter of 2024 brought more than 50 million tourist tax. This is almost three times more than last year.

Which region attracts the most tourists?

The city of Kyiv and 4 oblasts are among the five leaders in terms of tourist tax payment.  Most of the tourist tax went to the capital’s budget – UAH 10,978,000 against UAH 6,808,000 for the same period last year. Lviv Oblast received a record 10 million 921 thousand UAH, which is 13% more than last year (9 million 660 thousand UAH). This year, by more than a third compared to last year, the tourist tax in the Ivano-Frankivsk region has also decreased – 5 million 516 thousand UAH against 4 million 185 thousand UAH in 2023. Transcarpathian region earned 4 million 72 thousand UAH, which is slightly less than in the same period last year (4 million 281 thousand UAH). Dnipropetrovsk region closes the top five, with 3 million 281 thousand UAH received in the budget of its communities, which is a third more than in the first three months of last year (2 million 475 thousand UAH). As you can see, during the last two years, Lviv Oblast has been the most attractive place for domestic tourism of Ukrainians.

Rest is important

In general, the tourism industry in Ukraine is gradually recovering after the decline. During the full-scale war, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal estimated its losses at almost 20 billion dollars (https://www.epravda.com.ua/news/2024/02/29/710578/). At the same time, wartime conditions—the ban on overseas travel for conscripted men, logistical difficulties due to the lack of civilian air service, and the stress caused by the war—contributed to a certain strengthening of domestic tourism.

Despite the difficulties, Ukrainians are finding new ways to relax. Adaptation to new conditions and changing priorities in tourism demonstrate that the need for relaxation and mental recovery remains vital. So, as we can see, even in times of crisis, rest is necessary to maintain emotional balance and life stability.