Kyiv Investment Forum 2017

On September 26, 2017, the Investment Forum of Kyiv City was held. The official opening of the event was made by Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groisman and Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko. Investments in the tourist sphere of the capital will ensure the dynamic development of the industry and open up new opportunities for economic growth. "Kyiv has ambitious plans to become a comfortable and attractive city with high standards of living. A leader in reforms and transformations. Kyiv is also a leader in investment activity. Kyiv is open for business! By investing in Kyiv, you invest in one of the most attractive, dynamic, and perspective cities in Eastern Europe, " - said Kyiv's, Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

The task of the city and state authorities remains to create rules and principles of investment, business simplification, the introduction of intelligent regulations that promote development, and not create additional barriers. "It is important that every investment is successful. The instrument for achieving the goals is the Government Investment Institution Support Office created by the Cabinet of Ministers. And today at the Investment Forum we see that the capital has prepared a number of quality projects with the volume of investments ten billions of hryvnias, " - said Prime Minister Volodymyr Groisman during the opening remarks.

The city decided to devote this year's Investment Forum to the field of tourism infrastructure, since, according to the Kyiv City Development Strategy, tourism has been identified as one of the priorities, as well as this year is the year of tourism declared by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

The Forum brought together over 600 participants, including representatives of the Austrian Republic, the Argentine Republic, Canada, the Republic of Croatia, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Kingdom of Norway, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Moldova, the Republic of Slovenia, the Slovak Republic, the United States of America, the Turkish Republic, the Federal Republic of Germany, the French Republic, the Swiss Confederation. Of these, there are more than 200 potential investors, representatives of business and investment community, city and state authorities, experts, and the media.

During the Forum, representatives of Ukrainian business had the opportunity to negotiate with potential investors on joint activities in the field of business tourism, film industry and investment opportunities for the development of projects presented at the Forum: park recreation projects and transformation of the old Podil, cable car from the arch of Friendship of Peoples to the Trukhaniv island and

Poshtova ploshcha, a lookout tower of 60 meters high in Khreshchaty Park, a hundred bike rental stations with a bike-sharing system, a cycle track from Kyiv to Irpin, an amusement park in Hydropark, like Disneyland, etc. In total, more than 40 investment projects were submitted for a total amount of over UAH 9 billion.

During the panel discussion "Kyiv as a Tourist Destination: Vision - 2025" the participants discussed how to make the Ukrainian market attractive for foreign investors both at the national and local levels. Deputy Head of the Kyiv City State Administration Alexei Reznikov noted that the tourism industry in Ukraine is growing by 3-4% annually and is one of the 5 most attractive sectors.

Danylo Bilak, director of the UkraineInvest - Investment Promotion and Acquisition Office, added that Kyiv needs an integrated approach to understanding the city's vision: "We need to distinguish ourselves from our neighbors, build our identity and be proud of our state. When we are confident in ourselves, investors will start listening and helping us to develop our potential. "

Section 1: Kyiv Islands - Recreation and Sports Zone:

"Tourists need a holistic experience, therefore from a tourist point of view, the city should represent an integrated project. And speaking about the Dnipro Islands, there should be a mix of different attractions - so there will be plenty of reasons for guests to come back there. " Marcel Hutt, owner of MaxMakers.

Kyiv continues to attract foreign tourists to unusual places. "Kyiv, as a city with a large river, could better develop the field of entertainment and recreation on the water. It is possible to launch in the capital amphibian buses, as in Hamburg. Their main idea is that they are able not only to go the streets of the city but also swim like river transport, "- suggested a travel blogger, author of travel books and architecture Geike Maria Jogening.

Section 2: Kyiv on the international business tourism map:

"This year is the best year for Kyiv from a tourist point of view. And we expect that the city's potential will grow. Kyiv becomes interesting for tourists from the USA, Great Britain, China, so at the moment we need to think about how to attract new guests to the capital. " Katerina Volkova, Head of the Booking.com representative office in Ukraine.

Section 3: Podil - is an old city in a new face.

The speakers talked about: an underground museum on Pochtova, a concept for reconstructing Kontraktova Square, a pedestrian boulevard with a seating area, fountains, a large garden, as adjacent buildings can be transformed into a museum: one of the cafeterias can become a museum of Kyiv sweets, an antique shop - a museum of pamphlets. Tourists will be able to see the only wooden city in the world of Kyivan Rus.

Section 4: Kyiv as a city of the film industry

"The film industry gives the city definite advantages: investments, new jobs, economic profit not only in the sphere of the film industry but also intangible spheres, an increase of tourist demand, popularization of the city. For example, in Vilnius, it works, which solves any questions related to filming. There is also an online system, so 130 films from 130 companies from Britain, the USA, Germany, Sweden, and Finland are filmed in Vilnius. " - Yurat Pazikayte, director of the cinema bureau of Vilnius.

"Ukraine can offer a lot to the world of the film industry, but nobody knows about it. In India, in Bolivia, a huge number of films are being shot. Ukraine is a huge market for us. And if earlier, to get a visa, I had to pass the test, now it takes 5 minutes at the embassy. So, you still have to simplify the process, do everything in order for the representatives of the cinema industry to simply and comfortably work here. " Natariyan Ramji, representative of Travel masters India.

Section 5 - Revitalization of Objects and Cultural Management: Opportunities for the Investor. Investors were invited to consider the objects for investment: VDNH, a city project on the revitalization of the historic water reservoir in Kyiv "Pochayna", the museum complex "Mystetsky arsenal" and the platform of cultural initiatives "Isolation".

Section 6 - High-tech tourism: investing in new technologies:

"The idea of "cashless city "coincides not only with the purpose of our company but also for the purpose of any city or state. The world is changing very much. According to all studies, by 2050 70% of people will live in cities. 20% of cities are already investing in innovation in transport. In 2019, more than 30% of people will chat with the city through chatbots. In this context, the most important thing for tourists and residents is digital payments: remote and fast. " Sergey Frantsishko, Business Development Vice President for MasterCard Europe in Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan.

"The initiative KyivSmartCity - began as an association of citizens and city authorities on innovative projects, where people could come up with an idea and implement it. Almost all tourist locations are equipped with CCTV cameras. Currently, there are 300 cameras in tourist locations. " Yuri Nazarov, director of the Department of Information and Communication Technologies of the Kyiv City State Administration, co-coordinator of the Kyiv Smart City initiative.

Kyiv has once again confirmed its position as a leader in investment activity among Ukrainian cities.

The Kyiv Investment Forum is a unique international event of an economic nature aimed at demonstrating the transparency of the city authorities and providing a clear idea of the economic and investment potential of the Ukrainian capital.