The finalists of the All-Ukrainian Youth Competition of Innovative Projects for the Development of Tourism in Rural Areas in the Context of Crisis Phenomena have been determined

Contest organizers:

● NGO “Association for Promotion of the Development of Rural Green Tourism in Ukraine”

● Department of Country Studies and Tourism of Taras Shevchenko National University of Geography, Faculty of Geography

● Department of Geography of Ukraine, Faculty of Geography, KNU named after Taras Shevchenko

● Department of tourism and hotel-restaurant business and consulting of NUBiP of Ukraine

● Department of Agrarian, Land and Environmental Law named after academician V. Z. Yanchuk of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

Supported by:

● State Tourism Development Agency of Ukraine

● GS “National Tourism Organization of Ukraine”

● VAOMS “All-Ukrainian Community Association”

● The EU project “Support for the development of the system of geographical indications in Ukraine”

During April-October 2020, the acceptance of works for participation in the All-Ukrainian youth competition of innovative projects for the development of tourism in rural areas in the conditions of crisis phenomena continued.

The purpose of the competition is to involve young people in the development and implementation of local economic development projects, support entrepreneurial and innovative project activities, and popularize rural tourism as an effective form of socio-economic development of rural areas.

The competition was attended by young people who sent their author’s and actual research, developed for the needs of various united territorial communities – students, graduate students, representatives of local self-government bodies, public organizations, etc.

During the first selection stage during October-November 2020, the competition commission considered and evaluated 33 unique project ideas in five nominations of the competition according to the criteria of integrity and completeness of the project idea, its originality and innovation, justified and measurable effect of implementation, practical significance, etc.

The best works in each nomination were selected for participation in the second stage of the competition. A total of 13 works made it to the finals, which will be presented by participants from eight regions.

The finalists of the competition were:

Nomination 1. Creation and development of rural green tourism facilities

● “Forest garden – growing the future!” – Olga Andriivna Kononenko, Malobilosersk OTG, Zaporizhzhia region

● “Implementation of KET (creative economy in tourism)” – Chernova Olena Mykhailivna, Prysyva OTG, Kherson region

● “Glynyansky mill” – Tetyana Karlivna Shpenyk, Chinadiyiv OTG, Zakarpattia Oblast

Nomination 2. Innovative agricultural and ethno-tourism services and products of rural green tourism

● “Native Spaces” – Mykyta Vasyliovych Hrabovsky, Stanichno-Luhansk OTG, Luhansk Oblast

● “Ethnotourism Center as a way of interest and involvement of rural children and youth in the tourism development of rural areas of Novokakhovsk OTG” – Bohdan Vasyliovych Kravchuk, Novokakhovsk OTG, Kherson region

● “Implementation of agritourism services in the territories of fruit orchards in the South of Ukraine” – Suryadna Oksana Volodymyrivna, Yakymiv OTG, Zaporizhzhia Region

Nomination 3. Creation of tourist facilities and services in nature conservation areas

● “Development of domestic tourism: accessible, interesting, educational, safe!” – Vedmedenko Serhii Albertovych, Askania-Nova OTG, Kherson region

● “Legends and secrets of the Slovechan-Ovrutsk region” – Korchemna Yulia Mykhailivna, Ovrutsk OTG and Slovechan OTG, Zhytomyr region

● “Tourist prospects of Kozatskyi Island” – Bohdan Vasyliovych Kravchuk, Novokakhovsk OTG, Kherson Region

Nomination 4. Innovative tourist products of rural areas based on Geographical Indications and marketing strategy of rural areas as enogastronomic tourist destinations

● “Development of a smart approach in the tourist activity of Boratynsk OTG” – Svitlana Volodymyrivna Sydoruk, Boratynsk OTG, Volyn region

Nomination 5. Legal problems of ensuring tourist activity in rural areas: solution plan

● “Implementation of legal mechanisms of public-private partnership in the development of the nature reserve fund and tourist and recreational activities in rural areas” – Kateryna Viktorivna Bambuza, Yagotynsk city community, Kyiv region

● “Approval of the Law “On rural and rural green tourism” is the key to the development of green tourism in Ukraine” – Lynyuk Roman Vasyliovych, Volyn region

● “Legal problems of ensuring the quality of drinking water in Cherkasy region” – Viktoriya Serhiyivna Khovrah, Lysyansk OTG, Cherkasy region

The final of the competition will be held  on December 8, 2020 at 10:00-13:00 online on the Zoom platform . During the event, the finalists will present their projects and answer the questions of the commission members.

The tender committee included:

● Volodymyr Vasiliev, head of the NGO “Association for Promotion of Rural Green Tourism Development in Ukraine”;

● Olha Rabiychuk, Head of the Department of Project and Organizational Work of the State Tourism Development Agency of Ukraine;

● Ivan Liptuga, president of the National Tourism Organization of Ukraine;

● Daria Basyuk, doctor of economic sciences, associate professor, head of the department of tourism and hotel-restaurant business and consulting of the National University of Bioresources and Nature Management of Ukraine;

● Tetyana Kalna-Dubinyuk, doctor of economic sciences, professor of the department of tourism and hotel and restaurant business and consulting of the National University of Bioresources and Nature Management of Ukraine;

● Volodymyr Yermolenko, doctor of legal sciences, professor, head of the Department of Agrarian, Land and Environmental Law named after academician V. Z. Yanchuk of the National University of Bioresources and Nature Management of Ukraine;

● Olena Gafurova, doctor of legal sciences, professor of the Department of Agrarian, Land and Environmental Law named after academician V. Z. Yanchuk of the National University of Bioresources and Nature Management of Ukraine;

● Yurii Zinko, senior lecturer of the Department of Tourism and researcher of the Laboratory of Engineering-Geographical, Environmental Protection and Tourism Studies of the Faculty of Geography of Ivan Franko Lviv National University, head of the Lviv Regional Center for Rural Green Tourism;

● Nazar Kudla, associate professor of the Department of Management of the Lviv University of Trade and Economics;

● Olga Lyubitseva, Doctor of Geographical Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of Country Studies and Tourism of Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University;

● Olena Motuzenko, national expert of the EU project “Supporting the development of the system of geographical indications in Ukraine” on the issues of geographical indications for food products and guaranteed traditional features, expert on enogastronomic tourism, Candidate of Geographical Sciences, associate professor of the Department of Geography of Ukraine at Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University;

● Olena Shcherban, doctor of historical sciences, ethnologist, owner of the EthnoEcoAgroEstate-Museum “Lyalyna Svitlytsia”;

● Ivan Fursenko, first deputy head of the executive directorate of the All-Ukrainian Association of Communities.

According to the results of the final, the commission will determine the winners in each nomination.

The authors of the projects that will take the 1st place in their nominations will receive sets of local products from producers of the Roads of Wine and Taste from Transcarpathia and Bessarabia. For the 2nd place, the winners will be awarded with sets of gifts from the Association for the Promotion of Rural Green Tourism in Ukraine, and for the 3rd place – “Safe travels” boxes from the National Tourism Organization of Ukraine.

Also, the winners who will take the first places in their nominations will have the opportunity to personally meet with the head of the State Tourism Development Agency of Ukraine Maryana Oleskiv to present their projects in more detail and discuss the possibilities of their implementation.

All participants of the competition will receive appropriate certificates, as well as gifts will be given to those participants who did not make it to the finals of the competition, but whose ideas were noted by the commission as interesting and unique.

The final of the competition will be held in open access, so we invite all those interested to join the presentations of finalist projects. The link to the Zoom conference and instructions for entering will be posted later on the website of the Association for the Development of Rural Green Tourism in Ukraine greentour.com.ua and on partner resources.

Reference:  The All-Ukrainian youth competition for innovative tourism development projects in rural areas is held as part of the declaration of 2020 as the Year of Tourism Development in Regions and Rural Areas and involves taking into account crisis phenomena related to the pandemic.

For additional information about the competition: Iryna Okolovych, project coordinator, deputy chairman of the board of the Union of Northwest Territories of Ukraine – 097 31 47 507, ira_okolovych@ukr.net