Head of the State Agency for Tourism Development Maryana Oleskiv says that without the help of international universities it will be difficult to form a high-quality educational program in the field of tourism, since there are problems in the education system in Ukraine.

"There is a global problem in our education system that needs to be changed. I do not know to which extent it can be changed only in the field of tourism. We started a dialogue with several universities about tourism programs – this is the Ukrainian Catholic University and Lviv Business School and Kyiv-Mohyla Business School. There was also a meeting between two Austrian universities and rector of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. There are a number of programs that we have worked out and will be ready to launch," Oleskiv said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

She noted that such programs will need co-financing, since attracting high-quality world-class specialists requires funds.

"But if we don't do this, then we will get a low-quality education again," she stressed.

According to her, in Ukraine, in the field of management of the development of tourist territories there are no systematic practices and a corresponding scientific school, and there is also a lack of teachers who would have practical experience and know how to analyze statistics, plan marketing campaigns, and plan the development of territories.

Therefore, without the help of international universities, it will be difficult to form such a program. I hope we can find government or donor funding and launch it next year. We are also talking with Ukrainian universities, but this is a question of the system itself. The State Agency for Tourism Development, as a body responsible for tourism, cannot change the entire education system in Ukraine," stated Oleskiv.