Will Montgomery explores dark tourism in Ukraine as VisitUkraine helps visitors to the war-torn country
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00:00I don't think I'd be going out on a limb by saying most Brits wouldn't dare travel to Ukraine.
00:06But there's a company here in Kyiv that not only encourages you to travel to the country,
00:14it will support you in your journey, provide advice, suggest places to go, and ultimately organise your entire trip.
00:21So the question is, is it safe to travel to Ukraine? Is it worth going? What's there to see?
00:27And what's there to do? At a time when the concept of dark tourism is at its peak,
00:36Ukraine might just be an interesting and suitable destination for your next holiday.
00:43VisitUkraine describes itself as a service portal for visitors to the country.
00:50They provide basic free advice for travellers, including vital information such as curfew times,
00:56shelter locations, and an overview of wartime customs in Ukraine, such as instructions on what to do during an air raid.
01:05They also provide additional services to visitors.
01:09They organise tours to the country, accommodation and travel, as well as special war risk insurance.
01:17This all goes into creating perhaps some of the world's strangest package holidays,
01:22and a holiday they claim, when organised, is relatively safe for an average visitor.
01:28When I recently travelled to Ukraine, I met with some of the team from the organisation
01:32and had a chance to speak with one of VisitUkraine's project managers.
01:37VisitUkraine supports tourists firstly with information.
01:44Our hotline works all day and all night, and our managers are always ready for help.
01:55We provide information about insurance, documents, visas, tours, excursions, accommodation,
02:07and all services you need to travel on our territory.
02:12We provide insurance from war risks and medical insurance.
02:19We provide only safe tours and safe accommodation in the Ukrainian city.
02:26We can put it all together and provide for tourists.
02:32Tourists don't need to think about their journey.
02:38They don't need to think about safety or plan or routes.
02:46We are doing all for our visitors.
02:51In 2023, more than 100,000 foreigners from Western countries visited Ukraine.
03:09I think it's safe, and VisitUkraine is doing all for safe journeys, safe travelling to our country.
03:24Now the situation with air raids, with safe routes, is better.
03:33What is your advice to someone who's visiting Ukraine?
03:38How can they stay safe? How can they have a safe visit to the country?
03:42If you want to visit Ukraine, you need to know about a few rules.
03:50The first one is curfew.
03:55In different cities, there's a different curfew,
03:58so you need to know information about curfew in the city you're travelling.
04:03The second one is the rule about air raids.
04:08If you're travelling to Ukraine, you need to download on your phone an app
04:15that will notify you about air raids in your region and in all Ukraine.
04:26You need to know this information because in Ukraine we have different air raids.
04:34It can be just regular, but it can be a massive missile and bomb attack.
04:42So I recommend to go to the shelter every time when you hear the siren
04:50or you see a notification about an air raid.
04:55I recommend you to buy the right insurance, medical insurance and insurance from World Risks
05:07and choose the safe routes.
05:11Before visiting, you need to speak with someone who knows about the situation here.
05:22You need to collect information about region, what you want to visit
05:29and then you can plan all your trip safe and easy.
05:35VisitsUkraine also provides advice on transport options to the country
05:40as there are no inbound or outbound flights.
05:44It is vital to understand that there is no part of Ukraine risk-free.
05:50However, the Western regions and arguably the capital Kiev are options for an adventurous traveller.
05:58In my experience, these places are relatively safe, providing you don't get complacent,
06:04you follow the curfews and always go to a shelter during an air raid alert.
06:10The Karpathian Mountains of Western Ukraine are a great place for hiking
06:15and offer exceptional skiing on a budget.
06:19Travel to the central and southern regions and seeing areas directly affected by the war
06:24can be a fascinating experience.
06:27However, it won't be anything near a relaxing holiday if you do go.
06:33Be prepared for sleepless nights, be prepared to be woken up in the middle of the night
06:38by air raid sirens and expect routine blackouts.
06:42Also expect occasions where you have no access to water
06:46and understand that emotionally travel to Ukraine can be tough.
06:50There are constant morbid reminders of war, suffering and death throughout the country.
06:57Travel to Ukraine could be a fascinating, economical and unique trip if well planned.
07:03But it won't be for everyone.