Odessa City Council Culture and Tourism Department summed up the results of its work for the year 2012

On December 26, 2012, the Head of Odessa City Council Culture and Tourism Department Tatyana Markova and her deputy Alena Dyachenko held a press-conference dedicated to the institution’s work results in the year 2012.

1. Number of tourists
The number of tourists, who visit our city each year, is increasing. So, in 2012, Odessa has been visited more than a million tourists.

2. Number of vessel calls
During the tourist season 2012, our city was visited by 78 ships and 43 passenger vessels of "river-sea" class. The number of tourists, who came to Odessa via sea, was 61 273, what makes a 10 044 increase comparing to the year 2011.

3. Opening of Tourist Information Center and its affiliates.
on June 6, 2012, Tourist Information Center was festively introduced in Odessa.
Odessa City Mayor Aleksey Kostusyev and Deputy Mayor Yelena Pavlova took part in the opening ceremony.
In the center, every foreign tourist could get all the necessary information in Russian, Ukrainian and English languages, and it is planned to expand the language range in the nearest future.
The center will work daily from 10 a.m. till 7 p.m. The center’s services are free for each and every tourist.
In the network of the center, new tourist routes will be developed. Besides, it is planned to create Tourist Business Association and a Festival Center as well.
During the opening ceremony, Odessa’s brand new tourist logo developed by Artemiy Lebedev’s Studio was presented. It unites the concepts of an anchor, lighthouse, waves and heart shape.
Its main task is to provide the necessary information to tourists, as well as to promote tourism in the city of Odessa, support small business development in tourism infrastructure development and promote the tourism products in Odessa at the domestic and international markets.
On August 15, 2012,the first branch "Odessa’s TIC" was introduced at the central avenue of "Arcadia" beach resort complex.

4. Creation of tourism inspection. Due to the tourism inspection’s work, the tourist tax incomes of the city budget increased. For the period of January-November 2012, the city budget received over $ 2 million.
5. «Shuttle - bus» pilot project In September 2012, the first Shuttle-bus began his work. It is meant to shuttle tourists, especially cruise ship passengers, from the building of the marine station to Yekaterininskaya Square and back. Shuttle-bus operation is held on a fee basis

6. Tourist logo creationThe City’s Tourist Emblem was introduced at the crossing of Lanzheronovskaya and Pushkinskaya Streets. The festive opening ceremony was held in the network of Odessa’s Birthday celebration. The 2 m high bronze sculpture named “I Love Odessa” was manufactured in Kiev. The Emblem’s creation is a totally off-budget project.

7. Establishment of “Odessa’s Tourism” Association
On September 27, the World Tourism Day is celebrated. Our city celebrated this holiday with creating and introducing “Odessa’s Tourism” Association, that is aimed at providing profitable and advantageous business conditions for the city’s companies and services connected with the tourism sphere. The Association is established by Odessa’s Touristic Information Center and several tourist companies of the city. In the Center, every foreign tourist could get all the necessary information in Russian, Ukrainian and English languages, and it is planned to expand the language range in the nearest future. The main task of the Association is to unite all the participants of Odessa’s tourist market in order to carry out a literate marketing policy and promote Odessa’s brand all over the world.
The Association will consist of tourist companies, touring bureaus, hotels, restaurants, theaters, museums, galleries, entertainment centers, clubs, transport companies, colleges and universities, professional training centers, airport, port and all the other companies whose work is connected with providing tourist services.

8. Odessa’s tourist guide and map creation
In 2012, Odessa travel guide was designed and manufactured. It includes information about the tourist infrastructure (hotels, museums, theaters, and other subjects of tourism), and other information the tourists might need.

9. In2012, a series of activities aimed at the development of the city’s tourist industry was held in Odessa: - 2 press tours; - 2 business seminars.

10. Participation in the international tourism fair ITB On March 7 – 9, 2012, ITB international touristic exhibition was taking place in Berlin (Germany). Odessa was presented with a separate stand. This year, the overall concept of the All-Ukrainian exhibition stand is dedicated to “Euro 2012” topic. In the beginning, it was planned that only the Ukrainian cities hosting Euro 2012 games will participate in the exhibition, but still Odessa managed to be among the participants as well, although our city isn’t the Euro hosting one.
Odessa’s special evening at the exhibition is scheduled to be held on March, 8.
The official delegation of Odessa consisted of: - Odessa City Deputy Mayor Yelena Pavlova; - Odessa City Council Culture and Tourism Dept Head Tatiana Markova;
- touristic companies’ and hotels’ representatives; - artists and volunteers.
To promote Odessa’s touristic products at ITB Berlin exhibition, Odessa prepared a special catalogue
11. "Odessa Goes for a Visit" project
"Odessa Goes for a Visit" project is aimed at establishing and developing partner relations with the cities of Ukraine and the other countries in the field of tourism, trade and investment. In 2012, Odessa delegation visited the cities of Lviv, Marseille (France) and Haifa (Israel) in the network of this project.
Visits to the twin cities in the network of this project will contribute to the strengthening of friendly and mutually beneficial relations between cities and states, the exchange of experience in the sphere of the tourism industry development.

12. "123" tourist hot telephone line introduction
On August 1, 2012, for the first time in Ukraine, "123" tourist hot telephone line was introduced. This is a unique project in the framework of the existing information service in Ukraine.
Odessa’s citizens and tourists are now be able to get an answer to any question in Russian, Ukrainian, English and German, having dialed 123 short number from a landline or mobile phone.

Adapted from Official site of Odessa city