Anton Taranenko and Yulia Ventskovska talked about the experience of Ukrainian businesses during the war, adaptation to challenges, and expansion into international markets. Learn how flexibility and team support allow Ukrainian companies to stay strong even in the most difficult times

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What should a business do when the war stops the usual rhythm of life? How to adapt business processes and ensure growth? In this interview, Anton Taranenko from Visit Ukraine and Yulia Ventskovska from MK:translations share their experience of keeping their teams together, adapting to new realities, and making strategic changes that allowed them not only to survive but also to expand their operations in the international market.

From team support to flexibility in business strategy, learn how Ukrainian companies find new opportunities even in the most difficult times.

How did your company respond to the outbreak of war/crisis? What were the first steps to adapt?

Anton Taranenko: When the full-scale war started, the first task was to keep the team together and reorganize the work in accordance with the new realities. Our activities could not stop, because Ukrainians and foreigners who found themselves in the epicenter of events needed information support above all.

Therefore, the first step was to reconfigure Visit Ukraine as an information resource. We checked and provided information 24/7, both in the news format and personally to citizens through our hotline. These were the rules for crossing the border, necessary documents, escaping from the war, receiving humanitarian and financial aid, and thousands of other questions we were looking for answers to every day.

When the situation stabilized a bit, it became clear that in addition to informational support, people who stayed in Ukraine and went abroad needed “solutions”. Thus, Visit Ukraine has gradually evolved into a service portal where today you can find not only answers to any questions about leaving and entering Ukraine, but also services that will help make any move or trip convenient, comfortable, and safe.

Yulia Ventskovska: At the beginning of the war, for which we in the company were not prepared, MK:translations realized that we needed to organize coordination and support the team as soon as possible. An urgent coordination meeting was held, during which we checked the location of all employees and found out if they could continue working. Our priority was to maintain the safety of our employees and fulfill our obligations to our clients, even under such extraordinary conditions.

Initially, we worked only a few hours a day, but later we managed to structure the work and distribute responsibilities, and from March 1, we switched to a clearly structured work. Each project was assigned a project manager, and since then we have been working more smoothly, with constant communication between teams and clients.

The well-established system of remote work, which we came up with during COVID-19, helped us.

What key changes have you made to your business strategy to keep operating during the crisis?

Anton Taranenko: The most important changes were to expand the range of services and focus on new market needs. We realized that people need not only travel support, but also solutions for employment, training, relocation, as well as medical and legal protection. That is why we created new services, such as legal advice and insurance with war risks, which became critical during the war. Not only for Ukrainians, but also for foreigners who stayed here or regularly visit Ukraine.

It is also worth mentioning that today's realities are not just about business. A significant part of Visit Ukraine today is helping those affected by the war and supporting Ukraine. We regularly support various charitable initiatives, participate in various events and join fundraisers, and in general, we donate 25% of our income to the Armed Forces and help Ukrainian refugees.

Yulia Ventskovska: With the outbreak of the war, we realized that flexibility and adaptability became vital to continue our activities. We not only switched to remote work for all employees, which allowed us to maintain a well-coordinated work even when everyone was in different parts of the country, sometimes even in the midst of hostilities.

Strategically, we focused on foreign markets and expanded our B2B marketing to attract customers loyal to Ukrainian business. Reorientation to the international market allowed us not only to support the company but also to lay the foundation for further development and attract new customers.

In addition, we adapted the timing of projects to take into account the risks of force majeure, which allowed us to maintain the quality of services.

Can you share a successful case of your company's adaptation to new conditions?

Anton Taranenko: One of the most successful cases is the launch of an insurance product covering war risks. At the beginning of the war, we received a lot of requests from foreigners who wanted to visit Ukraine for charitable purposes or had urgent personal business here, but were looking for safe solutions for themselves and their loved ones. We quickly found a partner, an insurance agent, to create this product and it appeared on our website in a few weeks. The key was that no foreign insurance company insured those who planned to travel to Ukraine and canceled their insurance after crossing the border.

However, in addition to the existing demand, an important element of success was that we offered not only insurance but also 24/7 support, which is what people appreciate today in the face of unpredictability.

Yulia Ventskovska: One of the successful cases of adaptation was the preservation of our pool of key international clients due to the prompt organization of work. Even during the war, when there was sometimes a limited amount of time to work, we were able to ensure timely order fulfillment due to a clear division of responsibilities and coordination. Our project managers were constantly in touch, passing on tasks to specialists who could quickly get involved. This approach allowed us not only to retain our clients, but also to confirm our reputation as a reliable partner even in extraordinary circumstances.

How has the tourism sector in Ukraine changed during the war, and what is VU doing to support it?

Anton Taranenko: It is quite obvious that the tourism sector has suffered a lot and will not soon reach the pre-war level, but we have not given up. In addition to the usual services, we have begun to actively work on the development of domestic tourism, in particular through our Visit Ukraine Tours project.

A separate and very important component was the launch of the so-called dark tourism in Ukraine. The word “dark” may evoke negative thoughts or controversy for some, but in reality, it is a key project that helps tell the world the truth about what is happening in Ukraine. We brought thousands of foreigners to the country who wanted to see the consequences of the russian invasion with their own eyes. We also organized many donate tours to the affected regions. Caring foreigners come to Ukraine and make significant contributions to support Ukrainians, restore the state and certain sectors, such as hospitals or shelters. This is really important today. We also see that the demand for domestic tours among Ukrainians is growing, especially among those who want to support Ukraine's economy, explore its cultural heritage, and simply “switch off” from their daily stress.

One way or another, our mission now is to show the world that Ukraine remains strong and worthy of attention.

Yulia Ventskovska: The tourism sector in Ukraine has suffered great losses due to the war, as many travel companies were forced to stop their operations completely or partially. At MK:translations, we support those companies that want to maintain their positions or expand into the international market by providing translations and localization for their products and services.

In particular, our localization services help Ukrainian travel companies to present themselves in new markets and attract foreign customers. We believe that this not only strengthens Ukrainian business, but also helps to establish Ukraine's image as a reliable partner in the international arena.

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What advice can you give to other entrepreneurs to overcome the crisis and ensure business stability?

Anton Taranenko: The first and most important thing is flexibility. The crisis has taught us that adaptation should be quick and decisive. It is important to listen carefully to your customers and understand what new needs emerge in the current environment. Secondly, supporting the team and creating conditions for remote work is the key to business stability. And finally, don't forget about social responsibility. Today, supporting public and charitable initiatives is not just about the image of the business, but about the survival of the whole country.

Yulia Ventskovska: The main advice is to remain flexible and constantly adapt to new conditions. This includes not only rapid changes in business strategy but also organizational approaches to work.

The second important thing is to maintain transparent and constant communication with the team and clients, because trust is key in such times.

I also advise you to reorient your marketing to the international market, where Ukrainian companies are now attracting a lot of interest and support. Invest time in establishing new contacts and maintaining existing customer relationships. And most importantly, invest additional time in project implementation, taking into account the risks that currently exist.

What trends do you see in the development of travel services for the future?

Anton Taranenko: The future of travel services, both in Ukraine and globally, will be heavily focused on security and flexibility. People will appreciate the ability to quickly adapt travel conditions to the current situation. We also see that interest in domestic tourism and eco-travel will grow. For example, the Carpathians today are perhaps the largest hub of domestic tourism, and interest in the Ukrainian part of the Carpathians is growing far beyond Ukraine. However, technological solutions such as virtual tours and automated services will also take a significant market share.

Yulia Ventskovska: The travel business is rapidly adapting to new challenges and opportunities, forming several key development trends.

First, companies are increasingly engaged in business expansion and diversification to reduce risks in volatile markets. Entering new markets is becoming a priority to increase revenues and attract new audiences.

Secondly, the global shortage of local staff encourages companies to open representative offices abroad, which creates opportunities to attract expats and natives. This also allows for the introduction of foreign recruitment practices and tools adapted to local needs, which improves the quality of service and expands the company's capabilities.

What trends do you see in the development of localization and translation services for the future?

Yulia Ventskovska: I believe that the localization and translation industry is currently experiencing its golden age. For many companies, the crisis means shutting down or even going bankrupt, but for us it has become an incentive for growth. Ukrainian businesses have begun to realize the need to enter global markets, which has contributed to the growing interest in localization as a marketing tool.

Before the war, MK:translations was mainly perceived as a translation company, and only those who had a deeper understanding of its essence and value applied for localization. But recently, the need for our services has scaled up: entrepreneurs have started looking for ways to expand internationally, and we, in turn, have become an important resource for adapting their content to new markets. This also gave us the opportunity to actively work on in-depth market research, such as Poland or Romania, taking into account the legal, economic, and marketing specifics of each country.

So our approach has changed accordingly: we no longer just close specific requests, but understand the client's global goal, audience, and localization objectives. Given the forecasts and stable growth of the industry, we expect the annual growth of the localization market to remain at 50%. It is indeed a favorable time for our industry, and we are actively developing to meet the demands of modern globalized business.

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