The Meeting's agenda touched upon developmental issues for a successful familiarization trip for foreign travel journalists, including agenda, dates, timelines and responsibilities and defined current problems and needs of the Travel & Tourism industry through the end of 2008. As an addition, Valeria Lyuk, Co-Chair of the Committee, provided a report on the State Tourism Service Working Group meeting held on August 26^th.

Touching upon the general questions of the Travel & Tourism sphere, the Members outlined the possibilities of helping the government authorities on preparation, among others, of amendments to the law on VAT and questions of business trip reporting and electronic tickets. The Committee Members have agreed on the organization of a joint meeting of the Legal, Travel & Tourism and Tax Committees to form an adequate and solid amount of proposals for the State authorities.

The discussion of new familiarization trip details resulted in a brain storming session which in return resulted in changes of the concept of the trip and definition of the target groups, extension of possible program events and the journalists to be involved. Chamber President, Jorge Zukoski, outlined during the discussion the necessity for substantial preparation of the trip and his satisfaction with the efforts of the Committee Members to organize the promotion of Ukraine as a tourism destination according to the highest international standards.

If you or one of your colleagues would like to participate in the Chamber Travel & Tourism Committee Meetings or in a Joint Committee Meeting and receive informational updates, please feel free to contact Vladimir Yantsov, Chamber Committee Coordinator.

The beginning of autumn marks the beginning of a new business year, which brings plenty of new questions and ideas.

Chamber Travel & Tourism Committee will gather on August 28^th, 10:00 AM at the Chamber Conference Facility to sum up the summer results and to determine the most important issues to be settled until the end of the year 2008.

During the meeting the following issues will be discussed:

1. Development of a successful familiarization trip for foreign travel journalists including agenda, dates, timelines and responsibilities;
2. Business trip reporting and electronic tickets;
3. Ukraine promotion plan (developed by TTC members in March 2008);
4. Define current problems and needs of the Travel & Tourism industry through the end of 2008.

It is expected that the Committee will develop a plan of action for all the Committee's priorities.