Despite the losses suffered by the tourism industry of Ukraine due to the war, in the first six months of 2022, the amount of the tourist tax amounted to 89 million 420 thousand UAH, which is almost 28.8% more compared to the same period in 2021 – when the budget received 69 million 453 thousand UAH.
The city of Kyiv and the 4 oblasts are among the TOP-5 leaders in terms of tourist tax payment. The capital increased its budget by more than UAH 20 million. The largest growth compared to the same period in 2021 was recorded in the Lviv region – 193%. 19,774,000 hryvnias came to the budgets of communities of this region. In the Ivano-Frankivsk region, the amount of tourist tax increased by 76.4% and amounted to 9 million 47 thousand UAH. Zakarpattia Oblast earned UAH 8,872,000 in tourism revenue, which is 144% more than in the same period last year. For the first six months of the current year, Kyiv region paid 4 million 694 thousand UAH to the budget. This is 23% less than in the first half of last year.
The largest increase for the first half of 2022 was recorded in seven regions, six of which are located in the west of Ukraine. The largest growth compared to the same period in 2021, apart from the above-mentioned Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Transcarpathian regions, was recorded in the Ternopil region – 145%, Khmelnytskyi region – 116%, Kirovohrad region – 105%, and Chernivtsi region – 103%.
The head of the State Tourism Development Agency of Ukraine, Maryana Oleskiv, notes that the tourist tax, as well as taxes, shows a clear trend of decreasing revenues to the budget. “For the first four months of 2022, Ukraine recorded a 65% increase in tourism revenue, for the first half of the current year, we already see a much lower figure – 29%. We clearly understand that such growth is proof that the majority of Ukrainians, escaping from bombings and not wanting to be under occupation, were forced to leave their homes in the eastern and southern regions in the first months of the war and move to safer areas in the west. A fall suggests that most people have returned home. By the end of the current year, we will see an even greater decrease in the tourist tax, which, most likely, will reach the level of last year,” the head of STDA emphasized.
We will remind you that due to the war, receipts to the state budget from the tourism industry for the first six months of 2022 decreased by almost 26% compared to the same period in 2021.