Mariana Oleskiv

Mariana Oleskiv has worked in the tourism sector since 2002, specializing in destination management, hospitality, and the development of impactful marketing strategies for domestic and inbound tourism.

From 2020 to 2025, she served as Chairperson of the State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine, where she played a key role in implementing national tourism policies and promoting Ukraine internationally. She launched the “Travel Ukraine” campaign in 2020, which made domestic tourism a national trend, and in 2021 led initiatives that brought nearly 60,000 visitors from Saudi Arabia.

Her leadership extended to global advocacy: in April 2022, through her active efforts, the Russian Federation was expelled from the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) - a historic first for a UN body. In 2023, she was appointed Commissioner of the Ukrainian Pavilion at Biennale Architettura, and later secured Ukraine’s chairmanship of the UNWTO Commission for Europe (2023–2025). That same year, the Agency received a Cannes Corporate Media & TV Award for Best Corporate and Documentary Film.

Currently, she is Director of Tourism at Capital European Affairs in Brussels and serves as WTTC Advisor for Europe, strengthening engagement with EU institutions toward a more sustainable tourism future.