Lviv (Ukraine) hosts the M4EG networking seminar on Tourism development in the Eastern Partnership countries

10 October 2019

On 9 October 2019, a regional networking event on Tourism development was held by the M4EG Secretariat in Lviv, Ukraine. 34 representatives of M4EG signatories from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, and the M4EG Secretariat staff gathered together to discuss the challenges of promoting tourism at the local level and share tips and best practices in this field.

Then, a new Market Research of the Tourism sector of economy in the Eastern Partnership countries was presented to the participants by an international tourism expert. The Research was commissioned by the M4EG Secretariat in order to equip the M4EG Signatories with an up-to-date assessment of the Tourism sector performance in the 6 countries of the Eastern Partnership, including the trends and tendencies for the market, traveler profiles and consumer preferences. The Research also contains recommendations for the concerned local authorities to consider while drafting and implementing their tourism development plans.

The participants were also presented with a brief overview of the host city’s journey towards its current position as one of the most vibrant touristic cities in Ukraine by the Director of City Institute of Lviv.

Afterwards, the participants presented cases from their countries and engaged in a meaningful discussion of the challenges faced by aspiring tourism destinations, and the choice of options they can explore in order to succeed.

It’s worth noting that the M4EG thematic group for the Signatories with Tourism as one of their development priorities has the largest number of members out of the 5 existing thematic groups. In line with the constantly growing global numbers for both domestic and international tourism, it also indicates solid interest to and high expectations towards this sector of economy in the EaP countries. With proper commitment and some support they have good chances to succeed.