President Volodymyr Zelenskyy intends to instruct the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to consider liberalization of the visa regime for a number of foreign states, and the Cabinet of Ministers to reduce the value added tax (VAT) for hotels in order to stimulate domestic tourism and attract foreign tourists.
He said this at a meeting with representatives of the tourism sector in Kamianets-Podilskyi (Khmelnytskyi region), Ukrainian News Agency reports.
During the communication, the owners of the tourism business urged Zelenskyy, among other things, to create a national council on tourism development under the President, reduce VAT for hotels, and liberalize the visa regime with a number of foreign countries.
“I am not against creating this national council - a platform where we will be obliged to get together and write three laws or a plan of quick tasks for the government, the President, business... I agree on VAT, but we need to talk to the Prime Minister. We will attract him, explain the story and why it’s important... For visa liberalization, I’ll give the task to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, because it’s my vertical. My proposal is to cancel visas for the list of countries that want to get to us," the President replied.
The abolition of visas, he said, should concern, first of all, China, the Arab countries, Australia and New Zealand.
“We used to have such a policy that we canceled visas for the country that cancels visas for Ukrainians. Now, probably, is not the right time, because we need to compete for tourists. Therefore, we need to cancel this issue, and I think, that really a lot of people will come, especially Chinese, Indians," Zelenskyy said.
In turn, Deputy Minister of Health – Senior Medical Officer Viktor Liashko said that the Cabinet of Ministers at the next meeting intends to consider lifting restrictions on tourist groups of 10 people.
According to him, so many tourists in the group will be allowed, which is provided for transportation by buses - up to 50 people.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the tourist operator Join Up notes the demand for domestic tourism among Ukrainians in the summer season of 2020.
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