Dr. Romanova Talks To Students At The Dedman College Of Hospitality

Dr. Anna Romanova, a researcher at the Learning Systems Institute and a member of Florida State's Ukraine Task Force, visited the Dedman College of Hospitality to present the power of tourism for growth and recovery. Romanova was the head of a Ukrainian Parliamentarian Committee on Tourism, Resorts and Recreation Activities and CEO of the Association of Hospitality Industry of Ukraine. 

The lecture focused on utilizing tourism and travel not only as entertainment but also as a tool for the recovery of disaster-affected areas. Romanova lived just 45 miles from the Chernobyl station and addressed the students about how, through tourism, it was possible to raise the economic and humanitarian development of local communities that suffered from the disaster.

"As a person who lived just 45 miles from the Chernobyl station, the word was always associated with tragedy," said Dr. Romanova. "Thanks to our work and efforts to popularize the exclusion zone for tourists, I now associate 'Chernobyl' with life and development.

"Experience in changing the perception of Chernobyl among potential tourists and investors will be greatly needed after the end of the war in Ukraine. The tourism and hospitality industry will become a restoring force for the economy and provide support for the mental health of communities."