The Ukrainian government is facing backlash from the tourism and hospitality sector after it announced that it would once again be closing its borders to foreigners as of Aug. 29.
In response to the ban, numerous tourism industry players are organizing a rally on Aug. 28 to demand the government reopen the border.
Otherwise, they say, it is going to kill their business, given that the government has also extended the quarantine measures until Oct. 31, further impeding the hospitality sector that is already reeling after months of quarantine and border closures.
Organized by the Association of Chornobyl Tour Operators, Visit Ukraine, the Ukrainian Association of Medical Tourism, the Business Travel Association of Ukraine and the Association of Incoming Tour Operators (AITO), the protest will take place outside of the Cabinet of Ministers building in Kyiv.
Staff and owners of leading nightlife and entertainment establishments such as Skybar, Closer and River Port will join the protest.
Critics of the government decision say that the move is an unnecessary overreaction. According to AITO, the decision has a negative impact on Ukraine’s image as a tourist destination.
“Closing the border for foreigners until the end of September, in addition to aggravating the already difficult situation in the incoming tourism sector that we have today, will pose even more severe consequences for the industry as a whole,” AITO stated in a press release on Aug. 27.
The association also noted that the ban on tourists won’t be exclusively for those travelling from “red” countries, where the prevalence of COVID-19 is high, but rather represents a blanket ban on all foreigners.
AITO suggests that the government resolution be changed to prohibit only “red” travelers and to effectively strengthen health screening at the border for both Ukrainian and foreign citizens, rather than to arbitrarily close the border.
“The rate of disease brought in by foreigners, alongside the amount of tourists travelling to Ukraine, is quite low, and the flow of tourists into the country is not massive and uncontrolled,” AITO stated.
Tour operators had originally hoped to see the flow of tourists start to return by October. The border closure is likely to postpone this recovery, even impacting the 2021 tourism season.
The people who plan to protest have launched the hashtag #OpenUkraineNow to show their frustration on social media. Alongside hundreds of social media users, the protest has garnered the support of hospitality, advertising, tourism and medical organizations.
