Empowering Opportunities: UNWTO Awards 100 Tourism Online Academy Open Certificate Scholarships for SATD

Ukraine proudly secured a hundred certificates for participation in the online academy of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). This significant achievement was announced during the Global Education Forum, held as part of the 25th session of the UNWTO General Assembly.

Leading the Ukrainian delegation at the event, Mariana Oleskiv, Chairperson of the State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine, emphasized the global significance of addressing the challenges related to the quality of education and remuneration for tourism industry professionals. She noted that this issue remains critical, extending its relevance even to the most advanced countries.

Attracting tourists to visit your region is easier than convincing them to come back for another visit. This depends on the quality of services, an ecosystem, the friendliness of the local population, safety, and many other factors that shape reputation and interest. We are talking about long-term strategies, for which high-quality knowledge and education are paramount," Mariana Oleskiv emphasized.

She also announced plans to implement a comprehensive training and expertise enhancement system for all sectors of Ukrainian tourism within the Ukrainian Institute of Hospitality. "Currently, we are working on a project with the University of Lucerne which will be jointly implemented with Ukrainian universities. Ukraine lacks significant expertise in developing Destination Management Organizations (DMO) in regions. Therefore, in addition to training, we will also provide valuable international experience," the Chairperson of SATD noted.