Training specialists in tourism has traditionally been associated only with higher skills, in the absence of basic education did not solve the staffing problem.
The development of tourism in Ukraine as a factor of the formation of the country's economy requires the establishment of creation the branch system of training and development of tourism personnel, which would be capable of competitive work both independently and productively.
There is no such number of employees in any industry who have direct contact with buyers of their products, as in tourism. At the same time tourism is one of the most labor-intensive industries. Average employment in tourism is 3 employees to 10 tourists.
For a long time, secondary and higher educational establishments of Ukraine did not train specialists for the tourism industry. Therefore, the fundamental tourism education in Ukraine - a relatively new field of education. Into training of professionals in the tourist area of Ukraine involved in more than 50 higher educational institutions of different ownership forms and levels of accreditation. Among them, the first Ukrainian institution of a new type - the educational, scientific-production complex "Tourism, Hospitality Management, Economics and Law", established in 1995 by the Ministry of Education in consultation with the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, the Ukrainian State Committee on Tourism, the State Customs Service of Ukraine and the Prosecutor General of Ukraine.
The complex includes academic and scientific institutions, enterprises and institutions: the Kiev Institute of Tourism, Economics and Law, Kiev College of Hospitality Management, Economics and Law School, State Flight Academy of Ukraine, refresher courses, Research Center of Tourism Development, the Ukrainian Chamber of Notaries, Office Justice in Kiev, hotels "Dnepr", "Bratislava-Desna", "Rus", tourist complex "Prolisok", State shipping company "Black Sea Shipping Company", Borispol Customs, etc.
The main tasks of a complex set forth in its statutes, are: coordination of joint activities of educational institutions, organizations the institutions to implement the Law of Ukraine "On education", the introduction of speed training in cross-curricula plans and programs, effective use of scientific and pedagogical staff , teaching laboratory and manufacturing bases, special infrastructure, organization of training teachers in educational establishments and enterprises, joint conducting of research, testing and use of their results, the training of scientific personnel, development of training and methodological support, etc.
Educational process in the complex provides a highly qualified teaching staff, consisting of 52 professors and 96 associate professors. Classes are held on the modern educational and material base.
Specialists, who are preparing educational institutions of the complex, have a high level of knowledge and practical skills, excellent proving themselves at the work of enterprises and institutions.
On the recommendation of the Government of Ukraine, in 1998 the Kiev Institute of Tourism, Economics and Law was adopted by the World Tourism Organization (WTO). Since February 2002 the Kiev Institute of Tourism, Economics and Law received university status.
Kyiv University of Tourism, Economics and Law is a premier training center for training specialist of tourism industry in Ukraine.
The emergence of complex tourism, hotel industry, economics and law, the experience in training and establishing broad ties with related institutions in Ukraine and abroad was a natural outcome of its creation on its initiative and on its scientific and practical basis of the Association of educational institutions Ukraine's hotel and tourism profile.
Over the years of its existence, the Association has established itself as an effective mechanism for combining the intellectual efforts of educational institutions of different levels of accreditation in training the hospitality industry. Among its members - two Academies in Kharkov University in Kiev, Odessa, Kherson, three Institutes of Tourism in Kiev and Donetsk, 14 technical schools, colleges and college, vocational-technical schools - more than 50 institutions that train specialists in all branches of tourism. In 2001 the Association adopted the educational institutions of the Republic of Bulgaria, Russia, the Republic of Belarus.
Among the undoubted positive aspects of its activities - Implementation of the seven schools - members of the Association of the joint Ukrainian-German project "Modernization of professional hotel and restaurant business, in which 86 teachers of these institutions have been training in Germany, an international scientific conference under the slogan "Tourism on the threshold of the XXI century".
Complex "Tourism, Hospitality Management, Economics and Law," concluded an agreement on creative collaboration with the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine, Institute of History of Ukraine, Institute of Philosophy, Institute of State and Law Institute of Sociology, the Institute of International Relations, Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University, Institute for Policy and Ethnic Studies of NAS of Ukraine, the National Library of Ukraine named after Vernadsky V.
The complex has international co-operation agreements with agencies of Belgium, Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, Italy, Canada, China, France, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Belarus and Russia. On the basis of the complex on 11 November, 2001 for the first time in Ukraine was created the Academy of Tourism.
Academy of Tourism of Ukraine is a voluntary all-Ukrainian public organization uniting persons those engaged in scientific, educational and practical work in the field of tourism. The Academy operates on the basis of the Constitution, existing legislation on the principles of democracy, governance and equality of its members.
The purpose of the Academy as an association of professionals in the field of tourism are: the realization of their desire to contribute to the further qualitative improvement and development of tourism in Ukraine by means of scientific research topical issues of tourism, predicting the development, participation in developing the foundations of state policy in the tourism industry, the development of the education system provides training for qualified frame for the tourist business in Ukraine, as well as protection of the legitimate interests of its members.
By its scientific research and all of its activity the Academy actively promotes the entry of Ukraine as an independent state in the world community, the adoption of humane relations among nations, peace among people, the development of international diplomacy, etc.
Particular attention should be paid not only by skills training, but the education of individuals whose activities contribute to the creation and development of democratic, social and humanistic-oriented society.
Further development of the tourism industry must be based on new mechanisms of management, effective organizational and management structures, the economic freedom of producers of tourist products, in conditions of free competition would ensure saturation of the market with high quality services and contribute to socio-economic development.