A southern port city on Ukraine’s Black Sea coast, each year Odessa lures a growing number of travellers with its sun-swept beaches, rich culture and Unesco-preserved architecture. In 2015, the city welcomed 1.2 million tourists, up from 250,000 in 2003 – and in the years since Ukraine’s air traffic hit a nationwide low in 2014, Odessa’s air traffic increased by 32.5%, compared with a meagre average of 3.8% across most Ukrainian airports.
But there is more to this city than its allure to holiday-makers. Graduating approximately 1000 IT students each year, Odessa has become home to a growing number of technology companies, including research and development outsourcing services for Volvo, BMW, Luxoft and more. In 2015, Forbes ranked Odessa the top city for business-friendliness in Ukraine.
