March 9, 2017, 33 representatives from business, community and the government signed an open Memorandum on creation of Tourism cluster in Bila Tserkva.
January 24, 2017, during a working meeting on tourism development in Bila Tserkva, organized by the NGO «GoLOCAL» with the support of the Bila Tserkva Strategic Development Agency, three following steps were agreed:
- Combining efforts of all stakeholders;
- Creating a tourism cluster;
- Creating conditions for public-private partnership which will contribute to faster advancements in various fields.
The establishment of a cluster allows structuring the work on the development of the industry and involve all the stakeholders.
The next steps within the cluster are:
- Formalize the activities and choose Cluster Council;
- Identify the major obstacles to the development of the sector;
- Determine attractive tourist facilities;
- Create a single database of investment proposals and projects for the development of the region;
- Plan a “branding” of the region;
- Develop a communication strategy;
- Conduct an information campaign to promote the region and objects that are ready to receive tourists;
- Look for additional resources for the development of the industry.
During the signing of the Memorandum Tetiana Tymoshenko, chairman of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine in the field of tourism summarized all the work undertaken before signing. She said: “Creation of the cluster will be the driving force behind the development of effective tourism product, the establishment of a fruitful dialogue among all the players. Tourism – is, first of all, an integrated sector of the economy that affects more than 50 related industries. Return on investments in this sphere takes only about 5-7 years, and one job in the tourism sector is a prerequisite for the creation of four – in related fields. Therefore, its development should be of interest to representatives of various businesses, especially small and medium. ”
Volodymyr Glukhov, co-founder and project manager of the NGO «GoLOCAL», noted that business plays a key role in a cluster, not the government or NGOs. The government should support cluster’s activities and listen to its suggestions, and NGOs should provide expert recommendations. But the cluster – is primarily a union of entrepreneurs who work closely with each other to improve the competitiveness and economic growth of the region.
The city was represented by Deputies of the Mayor Volodymyr Hmurych and Olga Nastina who also joined the process of signing and expressed hope that the tourism cluster of Bila Tserkva will create an effective mechanism for tourism development, which, in turn, is to contribute to economic and social development.
It is important that the Memorandum remains open for everyone to join in. There is still a lot of work, and the more representatives of hotel and restaurant, tourism, advertising and IT businesses, carriers and scientists will join the cluster, the faster it becomes effective.
