“Start your amazing journey to Ukraine now,” the travel agency's website encourages.
Six months after the conflict in Ukraine officially began, one organization is urging tourists to return to the country. Visiting Ukraine now to experience what it was like to be in the middle of a war, see bombed cities, feel the danger and meet its fighters is not on anyone's tourist list.
Despite international warnings calling for restrictions on tourism in Ukraine, the company said it had sold 150 tickets so far, while its website providing information on safe travel to and from Ukraine is receiving 1.5 million visits a month, a 50% increase on the number before the conflict broke out.
Despite international warnings calling for restrictions on tourism in Ukraine, the company said it had sold 150 tickets so far.
Those who sign up for these special tours can walk among bomb fragments, ruined buildings, churches and stadiums, as well as burned military hardware, plus the occasional air raid siren. However, unexploded mines are also a potential danger.
It may sound odd for a vacation, but Visit Ukraine founder and CEO Anton Taranenko tells CNN Travel it's not like "dark tourism" that sees travelers flock to other sites of death, disaster and destruction around the world.
Taranenko said the tours were a chance for Ukraine to demonstrate its people's defiance and show the outside world that life goes on, even during war.
Taranenko admits there are risks to visiting Ukraine, but says guides will help mitigate some of the dangers.
“It’s not just about bombs, what’s happening in Ukraine today is about how people are learning to live with war, helping each other. There’s a real change, a new street spirit. Maybe across the street from a recent bomb, you’ll see friends eating delicious traditional food in a new little pub.
We are happy in some moments, not only bad and sad things like we see on TV. Life goes on and hopefully all this will end soon," said Mr. Taranenko.
The US State Department has issued a "Level 4: Do Not Travel" warning for Ukraine due to the conflict situation, urging all US citizens to leave Ukraine immediately, after the US Embassy in Kiev was suspended, unable to provide consular assistance.
Other countries around the world have issued similar warnings. The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office has warned of the risk to life from attacks on cities and regions in Ukraine.
But Mr Taranenko is doing the opposite, urging tourists to come to Ukraine immediately. "If you want to see our destroyed cities and our brave people fighting, come now," he said.
However, he added, visitors should be aware that nowhere in Ukraine is 100% safe, although having a guide will help reduce the danger.
“We are constantly checking the situation so we can monitor different levels of safety,” Mr Taranenko pointed out, pointing out that many Ukrainians have now returned to the areas they initially left, especially the capital Kiev.
Mr Taraneko’s visits to Ukraine have been praised by the government for supporting the country’s moribund tourism industry and providing information to help people get in and out more easily. However, the activity has not yet been officially approved to encourage tourists to visit Ukraine.
The day tours are a chance for Ukraine to showcase the defiance of its people and show how they are continuing to live during the war, founder and CEO Anton Taranenko told CNN Travel.
"It's not the right time now, but after everything is over, we will invite people to visit Ukraine," Mariana Oleskiv, president of the Tourism Development Agency of Ukraine, told CNN. "At the state level, we want Ukraine to open for tourism, but we cannot guarantee absolute safety for tourists yet, so we hope to do it next year."
Oleskiv said that domestic tourism had indeed restarted in Ukraine, reaching 50% of pre-conflict levels despite the fighting, but it was too early and too risky for foreigners.
Regardless of the risks, people still want to visit Ukraine, Mr. Taranenko said. Of the 150 tickets sold so far, 15 have been sold to Americans, he said. Tour groups will be limited to 10. Participants will meet their guides at pick-up points and be briefed in advance on how to act if certain situations arise, such as seeking shelter if air raid sirens sound.
Day tours last 3-4 hours but can be extended on request. The company says profits from all ticket sales will go to support war refugees.
