Euro 2012 in Ukraine: Lack of Hotels in Donetsk

From the moment when UEFA confirmed Ukrainian cities Kiev, Donetsk, Kharkiv and Lviv as the host cities for group matches of Euro 2012, one of the main problems of preparation for this event has became guests’ accommodation of the future championship. Certainly, there were and remain many other difficulties. However, the issue of the hotels, concerning not only the necessary amount of the hotels but also their quality, was always keenly on the agenda and, especially, in Donetsk region.

In general, it is not surprising as all of the cities that will take the championship have enough big travel experience and know how to host a large number of guests, but Donbass (eastern part of Ukraine) was never able to boast the title of the tourist Mecca of Ukraine. Donetsk is more industrial city than tourist one. That’s why there is a lack of hotels in Donetsk that could comfortably accommodate all future guests. And if, according Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Boris Kolesnikov, in Lviv, the main problem for Euro-2012 preparation is the lack of stadiums and roads repairing, in Donetsk, the main emphasis made on guest accommodation as there is an elementary shortage of rooms in the hotels for future guests of the region.

Donetsk has amazing stadium. However, Donetsk needs more hotels and a new terminal to host a semi final, said Mr Platini at a press conference.

According to the chairman of the Donetsk Regional State Administration Anatoliy Bliznyuk, the problem with the lack of 5-star hotels in Donetsk can be solved with the help of the hotels in Kiev, Kharkov and Dnepropetrovsk.

“The problem still remains in the 5-star hotels. However, I would not want someone to take this issue on board and say that we won’t be prepared. We’ll do everything, and we’ll be ready … There is a problem of 5-star hotels but it can be solved at the expense of Dnepropetrovsk, Kharkov, and Kiev. That is, people can live there, and come to the matches in Donetsk”, noted the chairman of the Donetsk Regional State Administration.

According to the head of the regional administration in the preparation and holding of the finals of Euro 2012 Igor Kovalev, the deficit numbers in the 4-and 5-star hotels accounted for more than a thousand in July 2010.

As to the distance I should say that the distance between Kiev and Donetsk is 729 kilometers, between Kharkiv and Donetsk is 283 kilometers, between Donetsk and Dnepropetrovsk is 250 kilometers. Besides, I need to add that you can reach Donetsk from Kiev by planes, trains and buses. However, you can reach Donetsk only by bus or train from Dnepropetrovsk and Kharkov. (Trains are widely used by Ukrainian people as the train tickets are cheaper than airplane ticket).