WTM 2022: Kyiv's simple message to travellers – 'just come'

Radova said the city’s mantra, “everything starts in Kyiv”, was undimmed by the conflict, it being the centre of the country’s visitor economy and primary entry point for most tourists.

Key pillars of visitation include medical, gastronomic and historical tourism, and increasingly Mice. Radova said that after Covid, ITB – and now WTM – had reinforced the value of doing business face-to-face, something she believes Kyiv can tap into.

The city, said Radova, is hopeful of rebuilding its reputation as an international hub, as well as a city break destination with its range of three- to five-star accommodation.

New guided tours, as well as new routes taking in other cities and attractions like Odesa, Lviv and the Carpathian mountains, as well as war-torn cities like Kharkiv, would be at the forefront of the country’s tourism offering.

Focuses for medical tourism include dermatology, dentistry and reproductivity, while gastronomic highlights include Kyiv pie and Ukrainian borscht (beetroot broth) culture, which is now inscribed on Unesco’s endangered heritage list.

Radova added her department was already tracking an uptick in interest from overseas visitors keen to travel to Kyiv after the war, and stressed tourism would be important to the city’s future. “We are strong characters,” she said. “We will make people feel as comfortable as before the war.”