Berlin and Kiev: jointly positioning tourism for the future

Berlin, 6 March 2024 visitBerlin is the first tourism destination management and marketing organisation to initiate a cooperation with the tourism organisation of the city of Kiev. Burkhard Kieker, CEO of visitBerlin, Sabine Wendt, Managing Director of visitBerlin, and Marianna Oleskiv, Chairwoman of the State Agency Tourism Development Ukraine and patron of Kiev tourism, used the ITB as the world's leading travel trade fair for the presentation. A Memorandum of Understanding between visitBerlin and the city of Kiev was signed at the Berlin stand in Hub27 in the presence of Franziska Giffey, Senator for Economic Affairs.

"We are standing firmly by Ukraine's side in this terrible war. We support the Ukrainians who are seeking refuge with us and we also want to help rebuild the country. The cooperation now signed between the tourism organisations of Berlin and Kiev is a concrete contribution to this. As part of our new city partnership, it sends out an encouraging signal - for a future in peace. I very much hope that we will soon be able to travel to this beautiful country and its capital Kiev again," says Franziska Giffey, Mayor and Senator for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises.

Marianna Oleskiv, Chairwoman of the State Agency Tourism Development Ukraine: "We are grateful for supoort from the capital. Recovery starts now and Berlin is the first mover to help us to build back better tourism together!"

Burkhard Kieker, CEO of visitBerlin: "Berlin stands by the side of Ukraine and our partner city Kiev and, above all, by the side of all people who want to live peacefully and in freedom. The aim of the cooperation is to help rebuild the tourism industry."

Exchange of experience and co-operation
Cooperation and the exchange of experience are at the centre of the cooperation agreement between the two tourism marketing companies. This includes areas such as quality standards for accommodation providers, tourism education and training, data collection systems, marketing and industry innovations. Equality, openness and integrity are the values that will shape the new cooperation between visitBerlin and the city of Kiev. visitBerlin will not only provide support from Berlin, but will also have a representative on site in Kiev to help the marketing organisation in the Ukrainian capital to position itself for the long term and for the future. An action plan for 2024 heralds the partnership and provides for initial activities in both countries. For example, a press trip to Kiev and an event in Berlin with tourism multipliers from Ukraine are planned. Other formats such as online seminars will focus on tourism development in Kiev and Ukraine as well as post-war reconstruction. Skills development and networking play a central role here.