Expert forecasts swift development of domestic tourism in Ukraine for period of crisis
Kyiv, December 2 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The head of the supervisory council of the Clubhouse Group Holdings hotel operator (British Virgin Islands), the developer of the Seven Days three-star hotel chain in Ukraine, Ihor Balenko, has forecast swift development of domestic tourism in Ukraine for the period of the economic crisis.
"We think people will stop going abroad and domestic tourism will develop quicker for the period of the crisis," he told the president after a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Monday.
He said that Clubhouse Group Holdings retains its plans on development. In particular, the company plans to open hotels in Zaporizhia and Truskavets by the end of the next year.
Balenko said that Clubhouse Group Holdings is designing projects for two hotels in Kyiv and one hotel in Lviv.
"If the government program has the right credits and interest by Euro 2012, we'll manage to build them [hotels in Kyiv and Lviv]. If not, this will take longer," he said.
As reported, Clubhouse Group Holdings is the operator of the three-star hotel chain under the Seven Days brand. Currently the company operates two hotels - one in Kyiv (36 rooms) and one in Kamianets-Podilsky (220 rooms).
The company plans to expand the chain of three-star hotels to 12 by 2014.
In October 2007, Clubhouse Group Holdings raised $32.9 million to finance the construction of three-star hotels through placing 16.4% of its shares among foreign portfolio investors. A total of 2.452 million depositary receipts were issued.
The key shareholder in Clubhouse Group Holdings is the co-owner of the Furshet retail chain, Ihor Balenko, and its junior partner is the director general of TKS Holding, Ivan Torsky.