Lviv and Carpathian resort a tourist hotspot in Europe

Lviv city with its neoclassical architecture and the beautiful Carpathian nearby is an attractive mix that is drawing more and more tourists. The former head of the Lviv regional administration, Oleh Syniutka, estimated at the growth in tourism was not less than 50% in 2017.

A key driver in this sharp uplift in visitors is the imminent start of the huge resort in Slavske by OKKO-Retail LLC in partnership with the European bank of Reconstruction and Development. The scale of this project is comparable to the Les Arcs development in the Alps.

Mr Syniutka said: "In Slavske there is an investment facility. The roads will be built at the expense of the state, the water supply to the border of the land parcels will be financed by the budget, the rest will be implemented using investment funds. The project estimate for five years, according to the master plan, exceeds EUR 1 billion. In fact, the investor is now focused on the development of the villages of Verkhnia and Nyzhnia Rozhanka, slightly moving the project from Mount Trostian ... Theoretically, in 2019 we should already reach the construction stage."

In addition to the development of the ski resort, the focus will also be placed on the development of green tourism.

He added: "We expect that the Verkhnia and Nyzhnia Rozhanka will become the basic mega-resort, and in Turka-Sambir we want to preserve authenticity in order to prevent the construction of mega-resorts there. According to the plan, tourists who come to the ski resort will be able within 100 km to get another experience - to see folk crafts, the authentic way of life. There is practically no large building, and we want to preserve this flair."

It is expected when this megaproject is officially announced the momentum of tourism will continue to increase sharply, turning the Lviv/Slavske region into one of Europe’s top new ski and summer tourist attractions.