Cultural tourism: region brand formation and prospects

The Ukrainian Cultural Foundation in cooperation with the European Business Association and the Centre for the Development of Corporate Social Responsibility have joined forces for the fourth time within the Business Culture Hub, this time to jointly consider successful cases of business and cultural sector interaction, support acquired and find new partnerships, as well as share valuable experience on the hub’s stated topic Cultural Tourism: Region Brand Formation and Prospects.

The discussion focused on:

• cases of region brand formation in companies;
• effectiveness of decisions in the field of cultural tourism in view of supporting the economic and tourism potential of the regions;
• current challenges of companies;
• prospects of joint projects of business and cultural institutions: digital solutions and digital tourism instead of travel.

«We encourage people to apply for grants with projects engaging tourists in the local culture, as well as in interacting with the cultural life of the region’s residents. In particular, the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation supports innovative cultural products that are attractive to tourists – convenient and user-friendly», noted Nataliia Kernytska, Leading Expert and Project Management Specialist of the International Cooperation Department.

According to the project manager of the grant programme Culture. Tourism. Regions of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, our country is full of significant tourist potential, and not only in the purely literal sense of the word; now we are talking about the potential for the development of cultural and educational tourism. Ukraine has a tourist and recreational culture, cultural and historical monuments, unique products of folk crafts, besides, is marked by the rapid development of creative and cultural industries. All this attracts tourists, Nataliia Kernytska emphasises. The ecological tourism, ecologically responsible trips to study the regions of small settlements, their local traditions, historical and cultural monuments, crafts, ethnic local highlights which are in a particular region of Ukraine and contribute to the preservation and popularisation of authentic culture, are particularly actively developing.

The UCF Partnership Development Manager Anastasiia Pavlova noted that with the holding of the fourth Business Culture Hub, there has also significantly increased the interest of stakeholders in the cultural and business sectors to the hub’s topic and format, which was recorded by the event organisers during registration. In turn, Deputy Executive Director of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation Iryna Osadcha thanked the participants for their activity and openness in discussing the brand region formation and joint search for solutions and invited representatives of the cultural and business communities to meet with teams of projects already implemented with the Foundation’s support as their particular experience can be useful in developing and strategizing new useful and effective collaborations.

The event was moderated by Maryna Saprykina, Chairman of the Board of the CSR Development Centre. Among the invited speakers were: Tetiana Volochai, Director of the MHP – Community Charitable Foundation; Nataliia Kernytska, Leading Expert, Project Management Specialist of the programme Culture. Tourism. Regions of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation; Anna Adom, HR Director of PJSC Poltava GOK; Vita Bazan, the Vymiriuvach Innovation Park project, NGO the Ostriv Scientific and Artistic Platform, NGO Tvorchyi Vymiriuvach, and PJSC Elektrovymiriuvach; Maryna Soloviova, Head of CSR of IDS Borjomi Ukraine; Daria Pikalova, coordinator of the project Digital Cultural Routes. Tool for the Tourism Sector Development, Municipal Institution Grant Office ODESA 5T; Viktor Halchynskyi, Head of the KredoBank Press Service; Yurii Onyshchenko, coordinator of the project The Interactive Tourist Map of Western Odesa Region (I-map), Individual Entrepreneur Yu.B. Onyshchenko; Liudmyla Novak, Head of Communications of INTERPIPE (TBC); Andrii Hryvniak, the Pocket Country project, LLC SKYRON; Yevhen Zabarylo, coordinator of the project The Innovative Cultural Route Transcarpathian Art Path, NGO Cultural Platform of Transcarpathia.

We invite you to watch the video Business Culture Hub # 4 Cultural Tourism: Region Brand Formation and Prospects of Business Development at the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMJ9tJ4HL-s