Ukrainian president floats visa liberalization for tourists

Last updated on 7 June 2020

(Xinhua) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has floated the idea of liberalizing the visa regime for tourists, including Chinese citizens, visiting the country, the president’s press service said Thursday.

In a meeting with representatives from the tourism industry on Thursday, Zelensky noted that visas could be canceled for tourists from China, Australia, New Zealand, and Arab countries.

Zelensky called on representatives to join efforts to attract international tourists to visit Ukraine.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of borders, opportunities have emerged for the development of domestic tourism, he said, adding that the Ukrainian government intends to increase the country’s attractiveness for tourists.

According to the state statistics service of Ukraine, 15 million foreigners visited Ukraine in 2019. Their spending, up by 200 million U.S. dollars year-on-year, reached 1.7 billion dollars, the National Bank of Ukraine said.