In the conditions of a full-scale war in Ukraine, caused by Russian aggression, the destruction of cities and human tragedy attract the attention not only of Ukrainians, but also of foreigners. More and more "war tourists" are coming to the country to see the consequences of the fighting with their own eyes. Places such as Irpin, Bucha or Kharkiv have become symbols of resilience and tragedy, while remaining popular destinations for the so-called "black tourism".
According to the Swiss publication Sarganserländer, about a dozen Ukrainian companies offer “war tours” to Ukraine. The tours are mostly focused 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, claims Dmitry Nikiforov, co-founder of one of the travel companies. Meanwhile, his colleague from another travel company, Svitozar Moiseyev, assures that such tours are “not about money, but about memories of the war” and have primarily an educational value:
“They are like a vaccine that prevents something like this from happening again.”
At the same time, some travel agencies are sending their clients almost to the war zone for thousands of euros. For example, Nick Tan from the United States flew to Kharkiv in July 2024, which is located 20 kilometers from the front line and is constantly bombed.
“I just wanted to see it because I think our lives in the West are too comfortable and easy,” says the 34-year-old thrill seeker who works for a New York tech company. “Jumping out of planes, partying all night and punching people in the face is not for me anymore. So what would be the best? Go to a war zone.”.
At the same time, the authors of the material note that such an attitude seems strange to the residents of the destroyed Irpin, who still live in constant danger.
“Recently, a Shahed drone crashed 300 meters from my house. I had no desire to experience something like that. But if people want to, that’s their right,” said 52-year-old Ruslan Savchuk.
At the same time, a deputy of the Irpin local council, Mykhailyna Skoryk-Shkarivska, notes that most 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 tourists.
In turn, the head of the National Tourism Development Agency, Mariana Oleskiv, raises ethical issues of military tourism, so the agency is preparing special advanced 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 concluding contracts with travel services Airbnb and TripAdvisor.
“The war drew attention to Ukraine, now at least everyone knows our country,” Oleskiv states.
Previously, the State Tourism Agency expanded the map of tourist magnets in Ukraine - now there are 170 of them.
