Alla Glyva
Tourism Expert, YouTube Blogger, Coach and Trainer in Sales, Personal Branding, and Social Media.
Owner of the travel company Turbar Lounge / Ukraine, Kyiv
Alla Glyva, a tourism expert with 25 years of experience, founder of Turbar Lounge, coach, and blogger, shares her analysis of the travel market in 2025.
For Ukrainian travelers, tours departing from Chișinău have recently become attractive due to their lower prices—but they come with certain nuances: low-cost airlines often experience flight delays, and last-minute departures can be complicated by inconvenient transfers.
European destinations also have their drawbacks. Many tourists face variable airfares from low-cost carriers and strict baggage policies. Furthermore, partnerships with European tour operators often yield lower commissions, making these destinations less profitable for travel agencies.
Another challenge lies in working with Ukrainians living abroad, who prefer to pay for tours in euros. Not all travel agents—especially those registered as sole proprietors (FOPs) in Ukraine—can process such payments technically, limiting their potential client base.
Bus tours remain popular thanks to their affordability and ease of organization: a traveler simply boards in one city and disembarks in another. However, this format has significant downsides:
Long journeys that exhaust even seasoned travelers;
Border complications such as queues, delays, and extra inspections;
Technical malfunctions that can disrupt the trip entirely;
Lower comfort levels compared to air travel, especially at a low average price point.
Despite these disadvantages, demand for bus tours remains strong, especially among budget-conscious travelers.
The pandemic accelerated the digital shift: video content has become the primary sales tool. Short videos (Reels, TikToks) engage viewers, YouTube reviews provide detailed presentations of tours, and live streams create a sense of immediacy. The key to success lies in expertise—deep knowledge combined with energetic delivery builds trust and drives the desire to book with you.
