A year ago already, tourism professionals had traveled to Ukraine for a solidarity stay with the Ukrainian people.
In the spring, a new edition again allowed several industry players to discover the country’s reality, among them Jean-Marie Bernard.
The head of JMB Voyages, who went from selling dreams on glossy paper with Québec Le Mag to realizing travelers’ wildest dreams, as we reported in a previous article, then experienced an event that deeply unsettled him.
From that experience was born an idea: to offer, in turn, a trip to Ukraine, prioritizing the parts of the country spared by the conflict. It is an eight-day circuit, in December next, in the Carpathians and Galicia, around Lviv.
“During this journey, I befriended Olga Sansone (the director of Vacanture, a Ukrainian incoming operator). Before the war, she had six offices, but since then, activity has obviously slowed.
Following this stay and this meeting, Olga and I decided to give it a try. The idea is to help, with plenty of quotation marks, Vacanture to keep its head above water and to survive.
I am therefore proposing a trip to Ukraine, obviously in a conflict-free area.
Of course, that does not mean there has never been anything in this region, but I returned there on my own recently, and I heard no alert“, explains Jean-Marie Bernard.
In the spring, a new edition again allowed several industry players to discover the country’s reality, among them Jean-Marie Bernard.
The head of JMB Voyages, who went from selling dreams on glossy paper with Québec Le Mag to realizing travelers’ wildest dreams, as we reported in a previous article, then experienced an event that deeply unsettled him.
From that experience was born an idea: to offer, in turn, a trip to Ukraine, prioritizing the parts of the country spared by the conflict. It is an eight-day circuit, in December next, in the Carpathians and Galicia, around Lviv.
“During this journey, I befriended Olga Sansone (the director of Vacanture, a Ukrainian incoming operator). Before the war, she had six offices, but since then, activity has obviously slowed.
Following this stay and this meeting, Olga and I decided to give it a try. The idea is to help, with plenty of quotation marks, Vacanture to keep its head above water and to survive.
I am therefore proposing a trip to Ukraine, obviously in a conflict-free area.
Of course, that does not mean there has never been anything in this region, but I returned there on my own recently, and I heard no alert“, explains Jean-Marie Bernard.
Travel to Ukraine: “I went to the country twice, in 2026”
A bet that may seem crazy, even troubling, and the organizer is well aware of it.
“I suspect that not all feedback will be friendly. I’ve talked about it around me; people call me crazy.
There is no financial objective for me, nor any publicity. I have visited the country twice this year. You know, this trip offers many beautiful things to see, but what will be most memorable are the encounters.
They are interesting for everyone, because they are also comforting for Ukrainians, who see foreigners who are neither diplomats nor humanitarians.
It is also a way to keep hotels and infrastructures, like the incoming agency, afloat while bringing, on my scale, a glimmer of hope“, he confides.
Moreover, this is not the first initiative from a French operator.
Already in January last year, Nomade Aventure decided to create a journey in Transcarpathia.
A circuit that will only go on sale once the conflict is over, or at least when France Diplomatie indicates that it will be possible to travel there, changing the tint of its map, currently entirely red.
Just like JMB Voyages, the tour operator does not want to fall into voyeurism or dark tourism, but to offer a sign of hope to suffering populations.
However, unlike Nomade Aventure, for JMB Voyages, the Ukraine stay will indeed take place. It will run from December 10 to 17, 2026. It plans to explore the western part of the country, immersed in the Christmas festivities.
“I suspect that not all feedback will be friendly. I’ve talked about it around me; people call me crazy.
There is no financial objective for me, nor any publicity. I have visited the country twice this year. You know, this trip offers many beautiful things to see, but what will be most memorable are the encounters.
They are interesting for everyone, because they are also comforting for Ukrainians, who see foreigners who are neither diplomats nor humanitarians.
It is also a way to keep hotels and infrastructures, like the incoming agency, afloat while bringing, on my scale, a glimmer of hope“, he confides.
Moreover, this is not the first initiative from a French operator.
Already in January last year, Nomade Aventure decided to create a journey in Transcarpathia.
A circuit that will only go on sale once the conflict is over, or at least when France Diplomatie indicates that it will be possible to travel there, changing the tint of its map, currently entirely red.
Just like JMB Voyages, the tour operator does not want to fall into voyeurism or dark tourism, but to offer a sign of hope to suffering populations.
However, unlike Nomade Aventure, for JMB Voyages, the Ukraine stay will indeed take place. It will run from December 10 to 17, 2026. It plans to explore the western part of the country, immersed in the Christmas festivities.
Travel to Ukraine: Lviv, the Carpathians, Drohobytch and Jovkva on the programme…
The departure will be from Paris, heading to Rzeszów, in Poland.
“We decided to pick a small airport really very close to the Ukrainian border.
We opted to avoid Kraków, because it is a large city and a very touristy destination. It would therefore have been difficult to pass through without visiting it. We really wanted to focus on Ukraine.
Then travellers will board a bus chartered by us to reach Lviv. I will be present on this trip, as will Olga, who will be our guide on this occasion“, details the leader.
During the week, travellers will stay in one hotel, Leopolis, a mythical 5-star in the largest city in the west of the country.
It will then allow excursions across the region, to discover villages of the Carpathians, Drohobytch, a salt town whose wooden Saint George church is on the UNESCO list, or Jovkva, a Renaissance jewel…
“The idea is not to multiply accommodations. We have made the journey as pragmatic as possible.
I know the hotel, the restaurants, the museums, etc. I have no doubt about the quality and organization of what we will offer.
In Lviv, there is no problem. We will go to places not very far away. The center of Lviv has not been touched by the war, and fortunately, because it is magnificent.
There is a very intense cultural and social life. I myself was surprised by this; it is quite disconcerting. They live the present moment to the fullest. They are living life to the maximum present.“, he explains.
This aligns with observations by Fabrice Del Taglia, head of Nomade Aventure, who noted that inhabitants live a normal life in a prosperous city reminiscent of Prague or Budapest.
“We decided to pick a small airport really very close to the Ukrainian border.
We opted to avoid Kraków, because it is a large city and a very touristy destination. It would therefore have been difficult to pass through without visiting it. We really wanted to focus on Ukraine.
Then travellers will board a bus chartered by us to reach Lviv. I will be present on this trip, as will Olga, who will be our guide on this occasion“, details the leader.
During the week, travellers will stay in one hotel, Leopolis, a mythical 5-star in the largest city in the west of the country.
It will then allow excursions across the region, to discover villages of the Carpathians, Drohobytch, a salt town whose wooden Saint George church is on the UNESCO list, or Jovkva, a Renaissance jewel…
“The idea is not to multiply accommodations. We have made the journey as pragmatic as possible.
I know the hotel, the restaurants, the museums, etc. I have no doubt about the quality and organization of what we will offer.
In Lviv, there is no problem. We will go to places not very far away. The center of Lviv has not been touched by the war, and fortunately, because it is magnificent.
There is a very intense cultural and social life. I myself was surprised by this; it is quite disconcerting. They live the present moment to the fullest. They are living life to the maximum present.“, he explains.
This aligns with observations by Fabrice Del Taglia, head of Nomade Aventure, who noted that inhabitants live a normal life in a prosperous city reminiscent of Prague or Budapest.
Ukraine: “many people go there, there are many Europeans”
Now the task is to find participants.
And, unsurprisingly, the organizer does not expect a flood of applications.
“The main uncertainty lies in how potential participants will respond. I have no idea at all.
We are not at all on traditional marketing to sell trips.
The idea, to fill the trip, is to focus on people who have a particular bond with the country and the Ukrainians, such as associations, NGOs or friendly associations, this kind of audience. One has to be realistic: no tourist wanting to travel in December will choose Ukraine“, Jean-Marie Bernard does not kid himself.
To depart, the trip must count at least 12 participants and, at most, 20 people will be admitted.
On the French Government’s travel advisory site, the country is formally discouraged, whatever the motive for travel.
Under these conditions, is it possible to send tourists on site?
“There are several legal issues in this matter.
The country is formally discouraged. Now, the recommendations of the MAE have no absolute value. The Court of Justice of the European Union explains well that these are factors to consider, but it is not because a destination is red that it is forbidden to go there.
It is also necessary to check whether there are indeed exceptional and unavoidable circumstances on site preventing proper execution of the contract.
In my humble opinion, it is not forbidden to send travelers. However, the fact that the country is entirely red automatically entails an insurance exclusion.“, analyzes Chloé Rezlan, associate lawyer and co-founder Adeona Avocats.
And, unsurprisingly, the organizer does not expect a flood of applications.
“The main uncertainty lies in how potential participants will respond. I have no idea at all.
We are not at all on traditional marketing to sell trips.
The idea, to fill the trip, is to focus on people who have a particular bond with the country and the Ukrainians, such as associations, NGOs or friendly associations, this kind of audience. One has to be realistic: no tourist wanting to travel in December will choose Ukraine“, Jean-Marie Bernard does not kid himself.
To depart, the trip must count at least 12 participants and, at most, 20 people will be admitted.
On the French Government’s travel advisory site, the country is formally discouraged, whatever the motive for travel.
Under these conditions, is it possible to send tourists on site?
“There are several legal issues in this matter.
The country is formally discouraged. Now, the recommendations of the MAE have no absolute value. The Court of Justice of the European Union explains well that these are factors to consider, but it is not because a destination is red that it is forbidden to go there.
It is also necessary to check whether there are indeed exceptional and unavoidable circumstances on site preventing proper execution of the contract.
In my humble opinion, it is not forbidden to send travelers. However, the fact that the country is entirely red automatically entails an insurance exclusion.“, analyzes Chloé Rezlan, associate lawyer and co-founder Adeona Avocats.
Can a travel agency send travelers to a country at war?
Jean-Marie Bernard has of course asked himself the question.
“First of all, you should know that the country is not completely hermetic. Many people go there, whether NGO workers, diplomats, business leaders, etc.
I saw it when crossing the border. There are still many Europeans in general, French, Italians, Spaniards, Germans. Moreover, it is quite easy to go there.
As for insurance, travellers will automatically benefit from standard cancellation insurance, the cost of which is borne by JMB Voyages.
And medically, Olga works with a Ukrainian insurance company that covers all medical costs, as well as war risks. So, if ever an attack hits a place where we are, a response will be possible“, the boss explains.
A way to respond to the doubts of the lawyer.
It should be noted that Jean-Marie Bernard maintains, like other French people, a special relationship with Ukraine since the large-scale conflict launched in 2022 by Russia.
“I hosted a Ukrainian family for a year at my home. In Champsaur, where I live, we also created an association of which I became president, Solidarité Ukraine Champsaur-Valgaudemar.
We have carried out quite a few initiatives to help these people, who fled the war, to integrate. In fact, I visited the family I had hosted this year. They now live in Kiev.
It is a very impressive city, which lives almost normally, aside from the alerts. Since my stay, the capital has unfortunately become a particular target of Russia, which makes life there very difficult today.
The trip we are proposing is more of a test run to prepare for the future, the post-war period. When life returns to normal everywhere, tourism in the country will no doubt be one of the sectors that will help reconstruction of the country and the nation“, concludes the one who hopes for peace to restore Ukraine’s grandeur and its tourism.
“First of all, you should know that the country is not completely hermetic. Many people go there, whether NGO workers, diplomats, business leaders, etc.
I saw it when crossing the border. There are still many Europeans in general, French, Italians, Spaniards, Germans. Moreover, it is quite easy to go there.
As for insurance, travellers will automatically benefit from standard cancellation insurance, the cost of which is borne by JMB Voyages.
And medically, Olga works with a Ukrainian insurance company that covers all medical costs, as well as war risks. So, if ever an attack hits a place where we are, a response will be possible“, the boss explains.
A way to respond to the doubts of the lawyer.
It should be noted that Jean-Marie Bernard maintains, like other French people, a special relationship with Ukraine since the large-scale conflict launched in 2022 by Russia.
“I hosted a Ukrainian family for a year at my home. In Champsaur, where I live, we also created an association of which I became president, Solidarité Ukraine Champsaur-Valgaudemar.
We have carried out quite a few initiatives to help these people, who fled the war, to integrate. In fact, I visited the family I had hosted this year. They now live in Kiev.
It is a very impressive city, which lives almost normally, aside from the alerts. Since my stay, the capital has unfortunately become a particular target of Russia, which makes life there very difficult today.
The trip we are proposing is more of a test run to prepare for the future, the post-war period. When life returns to normal everywhere, tourism in the country will no doubt be one of the sectors that will help reconstruction of the country and the nation“, concludes the one who hopes for peace to restore Ukraine’s grandeur and its tourism.
