In the conditions of a full-scale war in Ukraine, caused by Russian aggression, the destruction of cities and human tragedies, not only Ukrainians, but also foreigners pay attention. More and more "war tourists" are coming to the country to see the consequences of hostilities with their own eyes. Places like Irpin, Bucha, and Kharkiv have become symbols of resilience and tragedy, while remaining popular destinations for so-called "black tourism."
According to the Swiss publication Sarganserländer, about a dozen Ukrainian companies offer "military tours" to Ukraine. Excursions mostly focus on Kyiv and its suburbs, and their cost ranges from 150 to 250 euros.
At the same time, part of the profit from such tours goes to the army, says the co-founder of one of the travel companies, Dmytro Nikiforov. Meanwhile, his colleague from another tour company, Svitozar Moiseyev, assures that such tours "are not about money, but about memories of the war" and are primarily of educational importance:
"They are like a vaccine that prevents this from happening again"
At the same time, some travel agencies send their clients almost to the war zone for thousands of euros. For example, Nick Tan from the USA flew to Kharkiv in July 2024, which is located 20 kilometers from the front line and is constantly bombarded.
"I just wanted to see it because I think our life in the West is too comfortable and easy," says the 34-year-old thrill seeker who works for a New York technology company. - "Jumping out of planes, partying all night and punching people in the face is not for me anymore. So what will be the best? Go to the war zone."
At the same time, the authors of the material note that such an attitude seems strange to the residents of the destroyed Irpen, who still live in constant danger.
"Recently, the Shahed drone crashed 300 meters from my house. I had no desire to experience anything like that. But if people want it, it's their right," said 52-year-old Ruslan Savchuk.
At the same time, the deputy of the local council of Irpenia Mykhailyna Skoryk-Shkarivska notes that the majority of local residents agree with "black tourism", although there are also opponents of it. "Why do you come here? Why do you want to see our sadness?", some Ukrainians asked the tourists.
In her turn, the head of the National Agency for Tourism Development Maryana Oleskiv raises ethical issues of military tourism, so the agency is preparing special training courses for tour guides.
Although tourist flows to Ukraine have fallen since the beginning of the war and are now limited mainly to business tourists, the Ukrainian tourism industry is already preparing for the post-war period, for example, by signing contracts with travel services Airbnb and TripAdvisor.
"The war drew attention to Ukraine, now at least everyone knows our country," Oleskiv states.
Previously, State Tourism expanded the map of tourist magnets of Ukraine - now there are already 170 of them.
