Kyiv/Brussels, 28th December 2022: Despite Russia's attacks continuing unabated into the Christmas season, the Ukrainian Hotel and Resort Association (UHRA) and the State Agency of Tourism Development (SATD) officially launch their planning for tourism in the aftermath of hostilities and aggression against civilians as of today. All Ukrainian hoteliers are invited to inform themselves about the European classification via the Hotelstars Union‘s website and to carry out a free and non-binding test classification according to the Hotelstars Union‘s criteria.
“Ukraine has already been an observing member of the Hotelstars Union since 2021 and actually, the first concrete steps towards the introduction of our joint hotel classification were planned for summer 2022,“ explains Markus Luthe, President of the Hotelstars Union. “The Russian attack on Ukraine has of course meant a postponement of our project, but it is precisely now time to set a sign for the peace power of tourism and - metaphorically speaking - to make bright stars in dark nights tangible for our Ukrainian colleagues.“
“With the kick-off of test classifications, we want to send a signal of the irrepressible will to survive and confidence in a return to normal conditions soon, a good eleven months after the beginning of the attack on our country and the suffering it caused,“ explains Irina Sidletska, President of UHRA. “We will bring our hotels back to the market, following the European standards of the Hotelstars Union, to build a bridge for international tourism to our beautiful country and its brave people.“
“In the conditions of Ukraine's integration into the EU, Ukrainian hoteliers and society are ready for the transition to European standards. We continue to work on creating all the conditions for the development of the hotel business, its competitiveness and high quality in accordance with the standards of the Hotelstars Union. We are grateful for efficient cooperation and opportunities provided for the Ukrainian market,“ comments Maryana Oleskiv, Head of the State Agency of Tourism Development of Ukraine (SATD).
About Hotelstars Union
Under the patronage of HOTREC Hospitality Europe, the hotel associations of Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland form the Hotelstars Union. It was founded in 2009 and has been operating as an association under Belgian law with its headquarters in Brussels since 2021. The Hotelstars Union reliably classifies hotels in categories from 1 to 5 hotel stars according to a common catalogue of criteria in already 20 European countries. With already more than 22,000 classified hotels or 1.2 million classified hotel rooms in its member countries, it offers transparency, quality and security for guests and hoteliers. You can find detailed information at
www.hotelstars.eu.