Donetsk Oblast: No Information, No Tourism
Only about 30 people from various districts of Donetsk oblast say they are willing to work to help develop green tourism in this miners’ region, where rural rest and recreation is underdeveloped, compared to western Ukraine. The reason may be that even residents see the Donetsk region as so many mines and endless industrial districts. Few have considered the specifics of the natural environment.
Today green, or rural, tourism is showing some progress only in one place in the Donbas, in the village of Krasne, the birthplace of the famous composer Sergei Prokofiev. Today it is both a scenic spot and an open-air museum. Another potential area for green tourism is Sloviansky raion, the site of Sloviansky resort, which boasts unique curative mud baths that match any to be found in Europe’s top health resorts. Whereas many people in Krasne are actively working to develop green tourism, in Slaviansky raion this work is only starting. There are also a great many places in this region, which, with the right approach, could become meccas for tourists who prefer to rest in the bosom of nature. But few people in the Donetsk region have shown any interest in developing rural tourism or a desire to work in this sphere. Those who do are mostly families living in some scenic spot or other.
According to Natalia Shynkarenko, head of the Donetsk regional state administration’s Department of Tourism and Resorts, rural tourism offers excellent opportunities for turning a profit, so developing this type of business could be a salvation for the majority of Donbas districts, where almost half the residents are unemployed. In general, if people in the Donetsk region got to work more energetically, thousands of jobs would be created without the need to create special enterprises. Unfortunately, very few people are aware of this.
Ms. Shynkarenko says the main problem with developing green tourism in the Donbas is lack of information. Most rural dwellers don’t have the slightest idea that they can have resorts in their towns or villages — which is precisely what the residents of Krasne did. They began by collecting exhibits for the Prokofiev Museum, which they set up in his native village, and proceeded to renovate their homesteads, turning them into mini- boardinghouses for nature-loving tourists. Local residents serve as guides, offer entertainment programs, and escort tourists to the most scenic spots in the village. Similar undertakings exist in the celebrated village of Sviatohirya, where the Dormition Cathedral was recently consecrated, and on the coast of the Sea of Azov.
A survey conducted by the Department of Tourism and Resorts about rest and recreation preferences, 93.8 percent of respondents in the region said they prefer local scenic spots, of which more than half are nature-oriented. In other words, green tourism is actually needed in the region, but the facts show that it will be popular only under certain conditions. Natalia Shynkarenko notes that proper financing is an important aspect of developing this kind of tourism. Money is primarily needed for repairs and maintenance of homesteads, but not every resident can afford this. There is another problem: villagers are afraid to make loans in order to develop green tourism because they don’t want to take any risks. She believes that this problem is also linked to lack of information; most villagers know nothing about the laws that would allow them to pursue this line of business; they aren’t sure they’ll profit from it. Last but not least, they see no support from local authorities.
According to Ms. Shynkarenko, a number of mayors and officials in charge of administrative districts are not aware of the possibilities offered by green tourism. In view of this, the Department of Tourism and Resorts is planning a series of seminars in July for the heads of district state administrations and owners of farmsteads to explain the benefits and prospects of this type of tourism.
