Odesa has always been a popular tourist destination, both for Ukrainians and foreign visitors. But with the war still raging in Ukraine, the city's tourism industry is facing bad days.
Before the start of the war in Ukraine, dozens of tourists visited the southern port city of Odesa, both for vacation and to see its beauties. Guests enjoyed the beaches, explored the historic centers or traveled to Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, to see the largest castle in Ukraine.
There was total confusion and disorientation in the city. Queues formed at supermarkets as people stocked up, fearing possible food shortages. Similarly, many locals lined up to withdraw cash, desperate to offset a possible breakdown in the banking system. I was also losing my mind, unable to clearly understand how the future and work would be affected.
The streets were almost empty, only supermarkets and pharmacies remained open. Everything else, cafes, restaurants, theaters, places of entertainment – were closed. People only went out to buy food or walk their dogs.
March was very stressful, but as April approached, the situation slowly began to change, with cafes, beauty salons and shops reopening. People started coming out again; locals flocked to parks, children to playgrounds.
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Today, normal life is beginning to return. High street restaurants are starting to reopen their terraces and you can hear the voices of travelers again, watch an opera or ballet performance or take a bus ride around the city. But the war continues. This is the reason why there are still barricades near the administrative buildings and "Primorskyi" boulevard, one of the most emblematic and famous tourist spots of the city, remains closed.
Most cafes and restaurants close at 10 o'clock at the latest; curfew starts at 23:00, after which you are not allowed to be on the road. Before the war, summer nights in Odesa were all about parties, outdoor movies, the beach and concerts. Walking through the city center on such evenings was fascinating. Now there is no night life at all - only eerie silence.
The tourist season in Odesa has always been the summer period from May to September. In 2021, more than 3 million people visited the city, almost as many as in pre-COVID-19 times. This year was initially expected to be a good year for tourism, with the easing of coronavirus restrictions. But then Russia invaded the country.
Today, most hotels by the sea, such as the Nemo Hotel, which was very popular in pre-war times, are facing low numbers of visitors. Hotels in the city center, the historic part of Odessa, are little better, with foreign journalists and some Ukrainian travelers staying there.
"The hotel owners have had a decrease of 15-20 percent and it is mainly journalists who make reservations at the Alexandrovskiy hotel. Hotel 'M1', located near the beach, is mainly occupied by travelers from Kiev", says Tatyana Prodan, head of sales at Maestro Hotel Management group.
Tourism has also suffered due to mines that mean swimming in the sea is strictly prohibited. Before the war, in the summer, the beaches were full of visitors. Now it is very different.
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Some brave people still go to the beach despite the ban and even go swimming. But there have been tragic cases of people killed by sea mines. Some hotels now offer daily pool passes as an alternative.
Museums remain closed and some of them have already moved their collections to safer places, such as the Museum of Fine Arts.
"Even before the beginning of the invasion, the museums had a plan on how to act in such situations. But the outbreak of the war was shocking again," explained Stanislav Kinka, senior research associate at the Odesa Regional History Museum. His main priority was to ensure that the most valuable exhibits were packed according to previously compiled lists and evacuated as quickly as possible. The museum is now closed to visitors.
Nightclubs are not allowed to host parties. However, the Philharmonic Theater remains open. And outdoor charity concerts are being held in the city park in Odesa.
Sandbags surround the Opera and Ballet Theater in Odesa, which has limited attendance to 30 percent of the venue's capacity for security reasons. If the air raid siren sounds, performances will be interrupted and patrons will be given the choice to either leave the building or go to the shelter under the theatre. If the air raid alert lasts less than an hour, the show resumes, otherwise it is stopped and visitors can use the same ticket to attend a later show.
Usually during the summer I would lead groups of foreign travelers around Odesa. I would do up to three tours for Ukrainian tourists a day on weekends. With the start of the war I lost this job and, to be honest, I can't imagine when I will be able to get back to the old routine of traveling, especially for foreign travelers. I am sure that visitors from abroad will be very keen to visit Ukraine and many people will come, but this can only happen after the war is over and the country is completely safe.
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Until then, we will continue to live with two realities: while restaurants and opera houses remain open, deadly rocket attacks remain a constant threat.
(Taken from DW)
