April 12, 1929 is the foundation day of the USSR “Intourist” State Joint Stock Company for Foreign Tourism, which later was given a new name of the VAO (All-Union Joint-Stock Company) “Intourist”, whose trade mark and stainless service were known all over the tourist world. Since 1991, the “Intours-Kiev” General Agency for tourism has become the successor of the VAO “Intourist” Kiev Association. For many years, it has been receiving and serving foreign tourists in Kiev. After the Great Patriotic War, foreign tourism began to develop rapidly. Hotels, railroads, historical monuments were restored and diverse political, cultural and sport life in the Ukrainian capital was set up. All these factors favored the growth of the flow of foreigners to Kiev, and the “Intourist” was engaged in their servicing. The “Intourist” owned hotels “Intourist”, “Rus”, “Lybed”, “Bratislava” etc., vehicles in use, as well as railway and air cash offices, representations at the airports and the railway station. Systematic training of personnel for high-quality service of guests was carrying out. As early as 1956, more than 20,000 foreign tourists visited Kiev, in 1964 their number grew to 100,000, and in 1985 – to more than 400,000.

Dynamic tourist development was predetermined by extension of hotel facilities. Charter flights and special “friendship trains” began to arrive to Kiev. The number of the Dnieper cruises increased. So called “triangle trips” including Moscow – Leningrad - Kiev became especially popular among tourists.

Tourism development in Kiev put forward new demands to foreign tourism management. In 1977, the Kiev Association VAO “Intourist” was founded with subordinated agencies in Cherkassy, Vinnitsa, Chernigov and Lutsk. At that time, the preparation for servicing the participants of the 1980 Olympic Games, the 1982 Peace March and the International Festival was carrying out. The personnel working at the Association amounted to 4,000 persons including 300 guides-interpreters who had working knowledge of 17 languages.

In 1988, in view of the structure reorganization the Association was reformed. All the hotels became self-dependent. The administration on tourist reception and service again was transformed into the VAO “Intourist” Branch in Kiev, which later was renamed into the General Agency for Tourism “Intours-Kiev”, remaining till 1994 the monopolist in Ukraine in foreign tourist reception. Accumulated experience, stability, traditions as well as responsibility and high-quality service undoubtedly inspire confidence of foreign partners and enable the Agency to rank high among travel companies of Ukraine. Our services such as comfortable vehicles, regular guides-interpreters, the conference-hall and the representative office at the “Borispol” International Airport are not only in demand among our partners but also among our competitors. Nowadays as before, the reference direction of our activity is inbound tourism, but we also develop domestic and outbound tourism, sightseeing tours and conference services. Taking into account our experience and skill in organizing large-scale international events we are entrusted with service of important and scaled actions of not only the branch level but also the state level such as the EBRD Annual Meeting in 1998 (about 5,000 persons), the visit to Kiev of the Pope John Paul II in 2001 (2,500 persons) and the Organizing Committee of the European Broadcasting Union (Eurovision) in 2005. Numerous international conferences and congresses, exhibitions and other events are not the exclusion in our activity for a long time.

Active participation in large international tourist exchanges in London, Berlin, Vienna, Moscow, Charleroi, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Milan, Warsaw, Saint-Petersburg, Minsk etc. fortifies a position of the Company at the market and attracts new partners. The General Agency for Tourism “Intours-Kiev” is the member of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Ukraine. Numerous merit certificates and diplomas given to the Agency, and above all our partners’ favorable reports certify of the Agency recognition and successes at the international tourist market.