About 30 years of tourism practice, university teaching, and alumni cooperating suggest that it is vital to survive and recover tourism in Ukraine based on sustainability principles and, foremost, climate-friendly practices. My background, enriched by the recent upgrade in GSTC Professional Certificate in Sustainable Tourism and SunX Climate Friendly Tourism course, inspires mentoring initiatives in collaboration with businesses, NGOs, and communities. My expertise in pre-war and current projects - Innovative forms of protection of the intangible cultural heritage of Ukraine and support of local communities by creating a virtual pilot museum of gastronomic heritage Showcase of Transcarpathia, Design and smart development of the eco-cultural route Tarutyno steppe on the grounds of sustainable development, Volunteer project of Designing the prospects and preliminary ETIS profiling of destination Boyk's Carpathians, Indicator analysis of sustainable development in Ukraine, etc. – prove that time is right and numerous ambitious and motivated entities are ready to success.

I am a researcher, expert, and practitioner on the field of sustainable tourism, governance in tourism and destination branding working as an Associate Professor of the Department of Tourism in KROK University (Kyiv, Ukraine). My engagement in the tourism sector includes more than 7 years’ experience as a tour guide and tourist product creator around Kyiv-city and Ukraine, the work of university lecturer in tourism and public servant in Kyiv City State Administration for the destination branding and international promotion of the Kyiv-city tourism potential. I have been involved in the promotion of Kyiv city as a tourist destination during foreign official delegation’s visits titled “Days of Kyiv” and international tourism exhibitions (IMEX, IBTM, TourSalon, etc.). As an expert, I have been honoured to consult on 12 Ukrainian territorial communities on tourism development. I am an active member of the Ukrainian Association of Tourist Guides and a National Trainer for tourist guides certified by the WFTGA. I am currently pursuing a qualification in Climate Friendly Travel through SUNx Malta in collaboration with ITS Malta.

I am Kateryna Dolhova from Ukraine. I hold a Master's degree in International Tourism and a PhD in Geography. Moreover, I have more than 10 years of experience in Travel&Tourism Industry (mainly, in tour operators and travel agencies). I consequently occupied positions of Travel Manager, Booking and PR Manager from 2012 to 2019. My roles included: tourism support to key accounts (corporate and individuals), working with problems, and searching for the optimal plan of its travel solutions. So, I am skilled in Business Travel, Customer Service, Advertising, and the Galileo Travel Booking System. Besides, up to 2023, I was a Lecturer at the Department of Tourism of Dragomanov Ukrainian State University (Kyiv). Thanks to my combination of academic and work experience backgrounds I am currently Tourism and Travel Consultant and freelance researcher. The scope of my science interests consists of Sustainable Destination Development and Rational Nature Resource Management Studies. Furthermore, I have completed the Sustainable Tourism Destination Management Study Course by The Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. And, I am an intern on the Climate Friendly Travel Diploma by SUNx Malta. My main goal is to help the world and Ukraine become more Climate Friendly in Travel&Tourism Sector. So, if you have the same thoughts, I am looking forward to collaborating with you in this case.

Dedicating my life to tourism, in Ukraine I was known as the youngest member of the board and a deputy head of the non-governmental all-Ukrainian organization «Union for Promotion of Rural Green Tourism Development in Ukraine». This experience allowed me to attain a PhD in Tourism in 2023; having defended a research paper on the peculiarities and prospects of rural tourism clustering in Ukraine applying the principles of sustainable development. To diversify my background, I participated in internship programs at the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (Ukrainian Parliament) and the School of Natural Sciences and Health at the University of Tallinn (Estonia), as well as numerous international projects and programs. I coordinate and implement projects on sustainable tourism, rural and community development in Ukraine. I am also pursuing a Climate Friendly Travel diploma course through SUNx Malta in collaboration with Institute for Tourism Studies Malta.