During a working visit to Spain Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba discussed with Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) the prospects of Ukraine's cooperation with the UNWTO, involvement of the organization's mechanisms in the development of Ukraine's tourism industry.

The interlocutors focused on the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for the tourism industry, its adaptation to new realities.

The Foreign Minister underlined that the pandemic has triggered not only negative consequences for tourism, but also unexpected new opportunities. In particular, in Ukraine, such circumstances have given impetus to domestic tourism, aroused people's interest in traveling in their own country.

The UNWTO Secretary-General noted that today the said tendency is observed everywhere, and the organization sees in it new opportunities for the global development of domestic and rural tourism.

Dmytro Kuleba proposed to hold an international tourism forum of the UNWTO in Ukraine, which is dedicated, in particular, to the topic of domestic and green tourism in the world.

"I have no doubt that Ukraine will become a new travel destination on the map of world tourism, which foreigners will be happy to discover as something new. The development of domestic tourism is a priority of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Government of Ukraine. I would like to achieve this goal in synergy with the UNWTO," the Minister said.

According to Dmytro Kuleba, it is essential, without waiting the end of the pandemic, to search for new forms and methods of tourism development, given the importance of the tourism industry for the world economy.

The Minister invited the UNWTO Secretary-General to pay a visit to Ukraine.