On Ukrainian War Tourism
Wealthy Ukrainians Spending on Holidays, Not Bullets, Undermines U.S. National Security and Foreign Policy Interests
Under the Biden Administration, the U.S. Mission to Ukraine made a public commitment to push the Government of Ukraine to implement anti-corruption to “win a secure and just future that delivers prosperity for all its citizens.”
Unfortunately, those efforts failed to deliver major results for the Ukrainian people or the American taxpayer. According to Transparency International, there was only a slight improvement in the state of corruption in Ukraine between 2022 and 2024.
As a public intellectual who has been a staunch supporter of Ukrainian sovereignty, one thing that has really bothered me is the number of wealthy Ukrainians that I have witnessed vacationing along the Mediterranean coastline since the invasion.
Over the last three years, I have been fortunate to have traveled extensively across Croatia, France, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain, and I have regularly come across high-end luxury vehicles with Ukrainian license plates whenever I pass through luxury coastal destinations.
Early in the invasion, I was particularly struck by the large number of Russian and Ukrainian guests who were staying at my five-star American branded hotel on the Northern Adriatic Sea.
In my opinion, Ukrainian war tourism is extremely problematic for U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.
The Trump Administration has often expressed frustration over the burden that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has placed on the American taxpayer. The fact that affluent Ukrainians have been enjoying the pleasures of exclusive resorts along the Amalfi Coast, Costa del Sol, French Riviera, and Slovenian Riviera seems to reinforce that narrative.
While it is true that U.S. multinational companies in the hospitality and tourism industry have properties along the Northern Mediterranean coastline (e.g., Marriott International; Hilton Worldwide; Hyatt International), the revenue that they have generated has does little to offset the burden of supporting the war effort on the American taxpayer.
Ukrainian war tourism carries domestic political ramifications for southern member states of the European Union too.
Many locals are outraged over the housing crisis that afflicts much of Southern Europe. This is evident in the news headlines across the region. The fact that affluent Ukrainians are taking advantage of short-term rentals when the local residents are struggling to make ends meet creates a major optics problem.
For these reasons, the Trump Administration should make it a priority to address this strategic misalignment in Trans-Atlantic relations. That could start with the integration of anti-Ukrainian war tourism efforts into the strategic plans of U.S. bilateral and multilateral missions across the region.