Natalya Tabaka is a tourism leader and public policy expert. In April 2025, she was appointed Chairperson of the State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine. Among her key priorities in this role are shaping national tourism policy, implementing strategic reforms, and fostering international partnerships that support economic recovery and regional development through tourism.

As Chairperson, Natalya has already launched a number of important initiatives, including the national project “Routes of Memory” and the development of a unified digital ecosystem for tourism data governance. She also leads Ukraine’s legislative efforts to simplify licensing procedures, implement transparent market regulations, and improve quality standards in the tourism and hospitality sectors.

Previously, she worked as a project coordinator at GIZ Ukraine, where, within the EU4Business initiative, she contributed to enhancing the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises, initiated the creation of more than 30 industrial cluster partnerships, and organized trade missions and international business forums. Among her achievements are hosting the 2024 National Tourism Summit of Ukraine and launching executive-level training programs for over 300 hospitality professionals.

From 2017 to 2023, she headed the Department of Tourism and Resorts at the Lviv Regional State Administration, where she secured tourism as a strategic direction for regional development. She founded the Lviv Region Tourism Cluster, initiated projects for ecotourism and cycling infrastructure, and organized barrier-free tourism study visits, attracting international support to strengthen the region’s tourism resilience.

In addition to her leadership roles, since 2020 she has been teaching at the Lviv University of Trade and Economics. She is also currently pursuing PhD studies in Entrepreneurship and Trade. In 2010, she earned a master’s degree in Finance from Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, and in 2016, obtained a master’s degree in Public Administration from the Lviv Regional Institute of Public Administration of the National Academy for Public Administration under the President of Ukraine.

Natalya has also gained international experience through professional development programs in Norway, Japan, and Israel, and has personally traveled to over 35 countries, including climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.For her contributions to national development, Natalya Tabaka has received honors from the Prime Minister of Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada, and various national public institutions.

Today, she is focused on advancing sustainable tourism, fostering cross-sectoral cooperation, promoting inclusive solutions, integrating innovation, empowering local communities, and implementing projects that preserve cultural heritage within modern tourism strategies.