Ukraine is heading into its fourth summer under full-scale invasion. At the same time, Ukrainian families are no longer inclined to postpone life for better times and value every opportunity to recharge and recover.
How has the tourism industry adapted to the needs of women with children and families of military personnel, and what is happening with vacation prices in 2025? Iryna Mosulezna, CEO of the tour operator Join UP!, shares her insights in an interview with The Page.
Full video interview with Iryna Mosulezna from Join UP!
Tourism in Ukraine: Expectations for Summer 2025
We’re talking on the eve of summer. Do you already have a vision for what the upcoming tourist season will be like for Ukrainians and your company?
Our season starts in April. And indeed, despite all the challenges currently happening in the country, tourism continues to develop—with certain nuances and transformations.
Looking at our internal statistics, we see positive growth compared to previous years. For instance, in 2024, 260,000 tourists traveled with us—the highest figure since the war began.
This year, we expect even higher numbers. We’re already seeing increased demand, including more travel directions. At the start of the war, the market was driven almost exclusively by Turkey and Egypt—mass destinations. Now demand is turning more and more toward European countries. The range is expanding, and travelers have more options.
Alicante (Spain) is one of the hot destinations for the 2025 season. Photo: Join UP!
How would you assess people’s readiness for travel? After the full-scale invasion began, many felt that vacations were inappropriate. Have attitudes changed?
Yes, at the beginning of the war, we often heard the phrase "not the right time." Some imagined they’d start traveling after the war ended. Others felt ashamed to even speak of vacations when others were fighting. Even within the tourism industry, it felt inappropriate to advertise or promote travel offers.
Iryna Mosulezna, Managing Director of the travel operator Join UP! Photo: Join UP!
But we gradually recovered. At first, we helped tourists get to countries close to Ukraine. Then came demand for safe destinations. And now, we’ve simply started to view life and its value differently. That’s how our new concept was born: to journey. It means we live life now. We can’t pause or postpone it. Travel helps us live—it brings recovery, emotion, and inspiration for change. And people are starting to understand this. Some travel for treatment, others to emotionally recharge, or to take their kids away temporarily.
How have travelers’ booking habits changed? During the early war years—and perhaps even since COVID—people often booked trips just a week in advance.
Indeed, in 2022, the booking window was about 7–8 days. Nobody knew what would happen tomorrow. Now, we’ve returned to more stable processes and tourists are getting back to old habits. As of today, the average booking window is 47 days. And surprisingly, when we launched early booking for summer 2025 in September 2024, we already received our first booking for October 2025. That’s a clear sign that people are planning trips—and believe in our country.
What advantages does early booking currently offer?
Better deals and a wider selection. The closer you get to your departure date, the fewer options you have left. So people end up choosing not what they want, but what remains.
How much can travelers save by booking early?
It depends on the destination and hotel policy. Some hotels offer up to 50% discounts, others 30%. But there is definitely savings.
What periods are people booking for now?
Winter tours are already being booked. There are also bookings for 2026—to Egypt and exotic destinations like Tanzania.
Bulgaria. Photo: Join UP!
Travel for Mothers and Children
Understandably, the main consumers of travel services in Ukraine are now women and children. How has this affected the market and hospitality industry? How are offerings adapting to this audience?
First, we realized that we needed to simplify logistics. For a woman traveling alone with kids and luggage—it’s a serious challenge. During the early war years, there was a need for transfers to departure points, as connections between Ukraine and airports in other countries were still poor. So we introduced transfers and brought travelers right to the airport doors.
Later, we launched our first bus tours. These were popular among mothers with young children and elderly people who were afraid to travel abroad alone and figure out foreign airports. These services are still in demand. Our goal is to improve travel conditions so that from the very first minutes on the bus, people already feel like they’re on vacation.
Bus tours are trending in Ukraine. Photo: Join UP!
The travel product itself also changed. When it comes to mass destinations, we started focusing on family-oriented hotels—where both mother and children can relax, even separately from each other. We emphasize large family hotels with "All Inclusive" concepts. If before the war, families could travel across Europe—hopping between cities, renting cars—now it’s hard for a woman with kids and no husband to manage that.
Inside the bus. Photo: Join UP!
How has this trend affected domestic tourism and Ukrainian hotels?
Demand created its own supply. Ukrainian hospitality began to evolve. Market operators started offering exclusive products. Each hotel tries to provide added value—entertainment, excursions, wellness programs, relaxation.
Many hotels now host kids' camps, so parents and children can vacation at the same resort but under separate programs, even living in separate rooms—this was rare before. Most hotels we work with also now allow pets. That too was uncommon before the war.
The travel market is adapting to the needs of mothers traveling with children. Photo: Depositphotos
When blackouts began, Ukrainian hotels quickly adapted and offered uninterrupted power supplies. While the hospitality infrastructure wasn’t ready for blackouts at first, now 90% of both large and small hotels have generators that fully cover their needs. Some seasonal hotels are shifting to year-round service and even building heated pools.
But Ukrainian hospitality still lives too much in the present, without planning ahead. For example, most hotels still don’t offer early booking systems.
Hotels in Bukovel. Photo: Maria Babenko
Where and How Military Personnel Travel During Leave
Is there demand for travel from Ukrainian military personnel and their families?
Yes. Special rates, discounts, and programs are being created for those serving in the Armed Forces or taking part in combat.
We collaborate with Ukraine’s Defense Forces. Over a thousand soldiers have already vacationed with us for free at the Red Sea in Egypt. Outside of that program, demand from military families remains high. We truly have many such clients. These bookings are not easy—soldiers often get leave revoked at the last moment, requiring changes or even full cancellations. These situations are becoming more frequent.
So we worked with our insurance partner to create cancellation insurance that treats such cases as a valid reason.
Організація відпочинку для військових. Фото: Join UP!
What destinations are most popular among military families? Can they vacation abroad?
Yes, of course. They choose both domestic and international trips. Often, they want to go to the seaside in warm places—Egypt, Turkey, or Europe. There’s no fixed trend, but most prefer peaceful hotels, perhaps with wellness programs, for 7–10 days.
In the context of military needs, is the tourism business becoming more inclusive?
We haven’t done formal research on accessibility in Ukraine’s tourism sector. But based on our experience—collaborations with Superhumans and sea vacation initiatives — we can say we’re still far from truly barrier-free tourism.
To make travel fully accessible in Ukraine, all stakeholders must participate: the state, local communities, tour operators, agencies, resorts, hotels, entertainment, food services, transportation, and more. Only coordinated action can drive real change across the industry.
That said, we see businesses doing what they can. All large hotels now offer accessible rooms. Small ones often can’t afford full adaptations but try their best and are upfront about limitations. Some sanatoriums and hotels have partially reoriented toward rehabilitation. Inclusive solutions are funded both by the state and private initiatives.
As for outbound travel—there’s also a long way to go. Even resorts considered "advanced" in terms of inclusivity often cannot meet the needs of people with amputations or serious injuries.
How Much Does It Cost to Vacation in the Carpathians, and Why Turkey Might Be Cheaper
Have travel restrictions spurred domestic tourism in Ukraine?
Yes. We’re seeing major investment, with many new hotels under construction. This is building a base for tourism growth after our victory. Service quality is also improving as market players begin to recognize competition.
In terms of price, Turkey can sometimes be cheaper than Ukraine. We have a shorter season, lower volumes, and higher per-tourist service costs. Let’s be honest—some Ukrainian hotels are also taking advantage of border restrictions.
Speaking of prices, what’s the average cost of a five-night Carpathian vacation for two, and for a child?
It’s hard to name an average—it can range from 5,000 UAH for two people with breakfast to 125,000 UAH. That said, for around 2,500 UAH per night, you can find a decent mid-range option. Meanwhile, kids’ camps for 10–11 days cost about 20,000–21,000 UAH on average.
Compared to last year, have travel services become more expensive?
Yes, like any economic sector, price hikes are driven by higher costs for food, logistics, and utilities. And this is a global trend, seen in European countries and traditional destinations like Turkey and Egypt. In Ukraine, the increase is around 10–20%. In some countries, it reaches up to 30%.
Are price increases even more striking compared to pre-war times?
Yes. Practically every year, prices rise at least 10%—in hard currency. This is especially noticeable for those who paused travel: over 3–4 years, prices have jumped 30–40%.