Mykolaiv Women School Graduates Attend Boat Tour Event

Within the frames of PLEDDG and under support of AUC Mykolaiv women took a unique training “School of Tour Guides”.

With a number of issues on the agenda including gender equality, this intensive training program is implemented by the Development Fund of Mykolaiv and the Department for Economic Development of Mykolaiv City Council with support from the Association of Ukrainian Cities and PLEDDG. The “School of Tour Guides” is implemented within short-term gender initiatives competition and funded by the Global Affairs Canada.

Study session in the form of networking took place in the School. Future tour guides had an opportunity to talk to managers of leading travel companies in Mykolaiv oblast as well as to the representatives of the project’s partner organizations.

School’s trainees took part in the highlight tour from “Artil”, a local company producing passenger vessels for river cruises and short sea trips. After that, they continued informal communication and exchanged their experience.

Anastasiia Tkach, Consultant of Mykolaiv Regional Department of the Association of Ukrainian Cities, noted that PLEDDG, due to support from international partners and a smooth dialogue with municipal communities, has proved its efficiency for several years in a row.

— These are sustainable projects in many Ukrainian cities and new initiatives such as “School of Tour Guides” in Mykolaiv. The Association of Ukrainian Cities is interested in and supports the projects aimed at ensuring gender equality. Equal participation of women and men in municipal development, economic sector, small and medium sized entrepreneurship sphere is a key to success and a clear signal of a prosperous city. I give my regards to the participating women, trainers, and co-organizers of the project on behalf of Executive Director of the Association of Ukrainian Cities Oleksandr Slobozhan. I am sure that the School graduates will be able to develop professional tourist products for Mykolaiv”, — the representative of the Association of Ukrainian Cities said.

Moreover, she notes that Mykolaiv will benefit from a fresh creative approach to the development of both existing and new tourist routes just before the new tourist season. This will allow to show that the city has a rich and deep history, create a high-quality service for tourists, and draw investors’ attention to potential opportunities.

The future tour guides were also welcomed by Director of the Department for Economic Development of the City Council Tetiana Shulichenko, Chairperson of Board of “Development Fund of Mykolaiv” Tetiana Chystiakova, Expert Tetiana Zolotukhina, and Chairperson of Public Union “All-Ukrainian Association of Guides” Yanina Havrylova.

— Today, the representatives of Tourist Council at the Department for Economic Development of the City Council and Mykolaiv travel companies have joined us. It is good opportunity for our 20 participating women to get familiar with sectoral capacities and fulfill themselves in this sphere, — Tetiana Shulichenko said. — The Department for Economic Development is always open for cooperation, so if you are on to something interesting about tourist development than you are welcome”!

Project’s participants also got familiar with interesting presentations and professional secrets such as the know-hows on working with various audiences and the tips on details and historical aspects to pay attention in order to attract tourists, as well as the contemporary methods of tours preparation, etc.

— Mykolaiv has got both giant tourist potential and recreational capacities. I want the city to evolve towards this path and become a real tourist attractor”, — Yanina Havrylova wished that to Mykolaiv citizens.