The government proposes to allow tour operators and travel agents to spend currency purchased in Ukraine on payments to foreign partners for tourist services. This decision was made at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on 28 April 2023.

“At the beginning of the war, the National Bank of Ukraine prohibited settlements on import transactions from accounts opened in Ukraine, exception for critical imports. This affected the activities of tour operators and led to the fact that most of them are forced to operate in other countries. If the above problem is not resolved at the state level, then the taxes from their activities will be transferred to the budgets of other countries, where Ukrainian tour operators are currently forced to operate due to existing currency restrictions in Ukraine,” said First Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yuliia Svyrydenko.

According to the First Deputy Prime Minister, the estimated amount of the need for cross-border foreign currency transactions for 2023 is USD 250-300 million. If tour operators are given the opportunity to work from Ukraine, this will ensure state budget revenues from USD 55 to 70 million.

Considering the importance of restoring the tourist services market, the Government proposes to include the following services in the List of the NBU which will allow cross-border transfers:

• temporary accommodation services as well as related services (hotel services, catering services in public catering establishments, leisure services in cultural and entertainment establishments, organization and provision of transfers and transport rental);
• services for purchasing tickets for air, railway, car, river and sea transport, booking and paying for cruises, rental of sea and river boats, motorboats and other vessels;
• organization of excursion services, international sporting, exhibition, business and other events;
• booking tourist service packages.