Study Tour in Vinnytsia: How Ukrainian Communities Learn to Implement Barrier-Free Solutions in Tourism

The State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine, together with the Vinnytsia municipality, organized a study tour for representatives of communities from various regions – “Implementation of Barrier-Free Solutions in Tourism.”

Over 30 representatives of local self-government bodies and regional executive authorities came to the "City of Ideas" to disseminate successful practices in creating an inclusive environment in tourism and to exchange experiences among communities.

According to the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development, a large-scale monitoring of physical environment objects and services was conducted in 2024, surveying over 93 thousand objects. Only 20% of them were recognized as barrier-free, about 32.5% as partially barrier-free, and 47.5% as having barriers. The most problems were recorded in transport, tourism infrastructure, and information accessibility.

At the same time, according to the results of an all-Ukrainian survey by the Center for Social Research and Behavioral Economics jointly with Advanter Group and Gradus Research (June 2024), 83% of Ukrainians consider accessibility (barrier-free design) a social value. More than half of respondents believe that the responsibility for creating a barrier-free space lies with the state and local authorities.

It is symbolic that Vinnytsia hosted this event – a city that has been systematically implementing barrier-free solutions for over 20 years and serves as an example for other regions.“Vinnytsia became the pilot community for the ‘Movement Without Barriers’ project. We are creating a 12 km barrier-free route from Zulinskoho Street to the city center so that everyone, particularly veterans using wheelchairs, can independently reach the necessary locations,” noted Vladyslav Skalskyi, Deputy Mayor of Vinnytsia.

Vinnytsia shared examples of implementing inclusive solutions – adapting the Tourist Hub building for the needs of visitors with disabilities, equipping a restroom and a lift at the Pirogov Estate Museum, installing tourist signs with Braille and NFC tags, as well as cooperating with public organizations and businesses working in the field of inclusion.

Participants also saw practical examples of accessibility – an inclusive city center tour from the Vinnytsia Tourism Office, getting acquainted with the Visit Vinnytsia Tourist Hub and the “EtnoChary” art space, where the rehabilitation project for veterans “Pottery in the Dark” was implemented. The tour concluded with an excursion focused on mental health restoration.

“Our task today is to make tourism in Ukraine accessible to everyone, regardless of age, health status, or social status. We must unite the efforts of the government, business, and communities to create a truly accessible tourist space. Accessibility is not an additional service; it is a norm that should be the default. It is precisely this that will make Ukrainian tourism stronger and more open to the world,” summarized Nataliia Tabaka, Head of the State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine.