The Ukrainian ambassador to Ankara on Sunday praised the safe tourism concept adopted by Turkey, which is a top destination for Ukrainian tourists.
As tourists from the country flocks to Turkey’s Muğla, Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s ambassador to Turkey, visited the western province to see the measures in place to protect vacationers from the COVID-19 outbreak.
Calling the Dalaman district "a corner of heaven," Sybiha said Muğla is one of the most preferred destinations for Ukrainians.
Praising the Turkish tradition of hospitality, Sybiha said he, his family and all Ukrainian tourists feel at home in Turkey.
Referring to Turkey’s fight against the coronavirus, he said Turkey is among the countries that are leading in vaccinations against the disease.
"I myself saw how serious Turkey is regarding safe tourism. I’m sure the number of Ukrainian tourists coming to Turkey will keep increasing," the envoy said.
Ukraine recently said a group of media representatives would visit Turkey in mid-May to observe measures taken in the tourism sector against the outbreak.
The Culture and Tourism Ministry launched the Safe Tourism Certification scheme last year to ensure strict safety and hygiene measures at airports and accommodation facilities, and in order to reassure potential visitors.
The country plans to complete the vaccination of all tourism industry employees before the end of May.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this month called on his citizens to go on holiday to Turkey as a sign of support after Russia suspended most air travel, citing rising coronavirus infections.
Russia has restricted most charter and regular flights to and from Turkey from April 15 to June 1 in a move that came amid growing political tensions over Ankara’s support for Ukraine.
Ukraine is among Turkey's most important markets as around 998,000 Ukrainians arrived in the country throughout 2020.
Budget carrier AnadoluJet recently announced it would start direct flights between Ukraine’s Kyiv and Odessa and Turkey’s Dalaman.