Warsaw recently hosted the EU Ministers of Tourism for an informal COMPET Tourism meeting, where Ukraine was invited as a candidate country for accession to the European Union

The event, held under Poland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU, focused on the key challenges facing the European tourism sector today.
This dialogue holds significant importance for Ukraine — both in the context of our path toward EU membership and in advancing the sustainable and secure development of tourism.
In her speech, the Head of the State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine shared with her colleagues the realities of Ukrainian tourism, the current state of the industry, and our development amid ongoing crisis. Foreign counterparts were impressed that, despite all challenges, domestic tourism in Ukraine continues to grow, investments are being attracted, and infrastructure is being rebuilt.

She also spoke about the lost destinations — those occupied, destroyed, or damaged by Russia and continuously plundered: Mariupol, Askania-Nova, Lemurian Lake, Kinburn Spit, and Dzharylhach Island. These facts shocked the audience. As a result, colleagues once again stressed that the issues of security and the threat of losing unique natural and cultural heritage are of utmost importance for the European Union.
Piotr Borys, Secretary of State and Minister of Tourism and Sport of Poland, emphasized the importance of preserving Ukraine’s tourist destinations and, on behalf of Poland, offered to support Ukraine and contribute to the sector's recovery. Notably, the Polish Sejm recently adopted changes to tourism legislation, approving a new sustainable tourism strategy. Polish colleagues are now ready to advise Ukraine on similar legislative reforms and share their own experiences.
We are grateful to our Polish partners for their support and willingness to cooperate. We also extend our gratitude to all those who voiced their support for Ukraine during this meeting — including European Commissioner for Sustainable Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas and Ms. Malgorzata Wenerska-Craps, Director for Internal Market, Industry, Competition and Intellectual Property at the General Secretariat of the Council of the EU — as well as each EU tourism minister who expressed solidarity with Ukraine.
European colleagues shared best practices that could also be applied in Ukraine — particularly in the fields of security, accessibility, digitalization, the use of smart technologies, energy conservation, and waste management. Poland’s experience in the development of eco-tourism and gastro-tourism was also discussed.
The European community expressed its support for developing memorial tourism in Ukraine, convinced that after the war, international visitors will come en masse to witness and comprehend what war in the 21st century looks like. Further cooperation opportunities for the coming years were also discussed. As noted during the meeting: “We cannot wait until the war ends in Ukraine — we must act now.”
The discussions also focused on improving travel safety, enhancing the tourism sector's resilience to crises, and supporting sustainable tourism development across Europe. Priorities for the coming months were identified.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Natalia Tabaka called on all EU representatives to join the creation of a “Tourism Alliance for Ukraine” — a voluntary platform for international partners to unite in support of Ukraine’s tourism sector, exchange experiences, and promote innovations that position tourism as a tool for recovery. The details of this alliance will be presented at the tourism panel during the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) in Rome, with the official launch event potentially taking place in Ukraine in October 2025.
Special thanks from the State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine to the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Poland and to Marta Barna, Vice-Rector of Lviv University of Trade and Economics, for their assistance in organizing Ukraine’s visit and participation in the EU Tourism Ministers’ meeting program.