On November 24, 2021 EU Project “Sustainable small-scale cruising and yachting” national workshop was held in offline and online formats at National University “Odessa Maritime Academy”. The project is funded by the European Union. The European Commission supported the international project “Sustainable small-scale cruising and yachting” as part of the Action “Support to the Implementation of the Eastern Partnership Multilateral Dimension and the Implementation of the Northern Dimension and the Black Sea Synergy – BSEC PERMIS (ENI/2020/421-957), and National University “Odessa Maritime Academy” is one of the participants.

The main objectives of the project were to analyze the current state of the situation, as well as the environmental and social, economic potential for new development of innovative/original models of small cruises/yachting and identify potential problems.

Project Leader – The International Centre for Black Sea Studies (ICBSS), Athens, Greece. The project partners were educational institutions from Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia and Russia.

The seminar was attended by Oleksandr Sheka, Head of the Department of Tourism, Recreation and Resorts of the Odessa Regional State Administration, Tatyana Markova, Head of Odessa City Council Culture and Tourism Department,  directors of yacht clubs of the Odessa region and employees of NU “OMA.

At the beginning of the seminar the participants were greeted by Oleksandr Sheka, Head of the Department of Tourism, Recreation and Resorts of the Odessa Regional State Administration, Tatyana Markova, Head of Odessa City Council Culture and Tourism Department.

During general presentation of the BLACK SEA CRUISE project “Main problems of the small crafts and yachting tourism”, the following speakers made speeches: Georgia Chantzi, ICBSS, Coordinator of the BSC Project; Matteo Bocci, SML, Scientific Coordinator of the BSC Project; Christophe Le Visage, SML, BSC Project Senior Analyst; Thanos Smanis, CLIMAZUL, BSC Project Scientific Expert.

During the seminar, a panel discussion took place moderated by Marina Chesnokova, Head of Foreign and International Department and Dmytro Zhukov, a senior lecturer of Ship Control Department. 

Presentations were made by the following participants:

1. Dmytro Zhukov, a senior lecturer of the Ship Control Department of NU “OMA”, “Odessa region as one of the perspective area for small crafts and yachting tourism”.

2. Andrey Skachek, coastal spatial planning specialist, “Prerequisites and conditions of development of yachting infrastructure in the Black Sea”.

3. Albert Kabakov, Director of the Black Sea Yacht Club, “Odessa Yachts Club introduction and future”.

Alexey Ivakin, Director of “Sosnovy Bereg” yacht club, Vyacheslav Smetanka, Director of “Barguzin” yacht club, Alexander Volkov, associate professor of Navigation Department and others took part in the discussion of the presentations.

The key conclusions on the seminar and project prospects were made by Mykhaylo Miyusov, Dr., Prof., the Rector of National University “Odessa Maritime Academy”.