JRT Interim Meeting

The Annual Interim Meeting of the Junior Round Table

Tourism as a vital factor for 
regional economic development  

April 1-4, 2004
Lviv, Ukraine

This year, the annual interim meeting of the Junior Round Table will be held in Lviv, Ukraine, a town on the UNESCO list of World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The theme of the meeting will be tourism. The JRT would like to invite you to participate in the meeting. In what follows, you will find more information about the subject, the JRT in general and logistics.

Why tourism? In recent decades tourism has expanded tremendously in terms of geographic scope, types of tourism and the share of the global population taking part in it. In many regions, tourism became an integral part of economical development. The development of tourism can be very beneficial to a country, its entrepreneurs and its workers. At the same time it can bring damage to nature and historical heritage of a country due unsustainable usage of an area. This gives rise to questions about the ethics of tourism: how to determine whether we contribute to problems? and how to make a trade of between social and environmental aspects of tourism. But there are also places that could sustain plenty of tourists but remain underdeveloped due to the absence of appropriate services. Would we recommend people in these places to develop tourism and why (not)?

Program The JRT interim meeting will draw on the expertise of invited speakers and the combined experience of those participating to develop a deeper understanding of the issues surrounding chosen topic. The sessions will move progressively from development of tourism and its impact on the economy of both country and region to ethical questions which we usually face when being involved in this sphere of economy. We plan to attract between 15 to 30 participants. The exchange of ideas and experiences will aim at practical results and be action driven. In addition to discussion meetings, the program also allows for a tour of Lviv and a visit to a local company.

Location and timing The meeting will be held in Lviv, Ukraine, a beautiful ancient town in the western part of Ukraine. In 1998 the historic center of Lviv was included in the List of World Cultural and Natural Heritage of UNESCO. The Lviv region attracts people from around the world, which makes it an ideal destination to discuss topics of development of tourism. The meetings will take place from the Thursday evening, April 1, 2004 till Sunday afternoon, April 4, 2004.

The program includes:

• a welcoming reception on Thursday evening;
• presentations by guest speakers on aspects of tourism, culture and ethics;
• a tour through Lviv and a traditional Ukraina dinner;
• a company visit and a networking event.

What you will get out of it? JRT meetings provide a combination of discussions on topics that typically go beyond your daily work and an opportunity to network with professionals from around the globe. Participants place a high value on business principles and the belief that individually each of us has a role to play in creating an ethical business environment. Throughout the year the JRT network gives members an ongoing opportunity to share ideas and receive support in their own professions and settings. 

What you will put into it? The success of JRT meetings depends on an open discussion between individual participants who bring their own experiences, questions, and concerns to the table. We plan come up with practical solutions to the problems we identify and follow-up actions. The conference fee will be US$10. This covers the costs for the conference, but excludes all other costs such as lodging, travel, and meals see below).

The Junior Round Table (JRT) is an informal network of young professionals with various backgrounds and occupations. Members come from all over the world, are active in economic or business life, and have some five to ten years of work experience. The JRT sets for itself the goal of inspiring its members through the exchange of ideas, beliefs, and experiences. Its purposes include: improving the understanding and collaboration between individuals of various backgrounds and nationalities, asserting the need for effective business principles and evaluating their practical application, and encouraging the members both as individuals and working as a team to take initiatives going beyond their day to day employment. The JRT network currently consists of over 150 people in twenty-seven countries. For more information about the JRT look at www.juniorroundtable.org, or contact Hein Bogaard at hein.bogaard@tiscali.nl

Logistics To travel to Lviv, you can either take a train from Kiev (10 hours, US$10) or a bus from Warsaw (about 10 hrs, US$40),or plane from Warsaw (about 1 hour, US$40), a plane from Kiev to Lviv (about US$35). In Lviv, accommodation can be arranged for you for approximately US$20 a night (bed and breakfast).  In addition, you will be expected to pay for lunch and dinner. From many countries, you will need a visa for Ukraine.

Registration If you would like to participate, please send a fax or email to one of the people below. Please be sure to provide the following information:

• Name, nationality and address (including email)
• Date of arrival and date of departure
• Whether you would like accommodation to be arranged or not (at your own cost)
• What you expect from the meeting

Contacts
Andriy Vovkanich fax: +380322 72-70-42, tel. +380322 74 32 41
Jaryna Kutsyna +38067 262 79 85 jarakutsyna@hotmail.com 
postmaster@lsifc.lviv.ua ;
Oksana Kuchman oksanka25@yahoo.com