РОЗВИТОК СІЛЬСЬКОГО ТУРИЗМУ ЯК ІНСТРУМЕНТ ПІДВИЩЕННЯ КОНКУРЕНТОСПРОМОЖНОСТІ СІЛЬСЬКИХ ТЕРИТОРІЙ УКРАЇНИ

Abstract

The article examines the problems of tourism development in Ukraine, with particular emphasis on rural tourism. The need for economic revival of rural areas of Ukraine, combined with the growing emphasis on sustainable development and European integration, has created a new challenge for tourism as a potential tool for achieving these important goals at the same time. The development of sustainable rural tourism has become a priority of national tourism policies and/or strategies in many countries of the world. This article presents proposals for promoting the development of rural tourism in Ukraine. The article analyzes how the principles of sustainable tourism are of particular importance for the development of rural tourism, and examines how these principles can be put into practice through the implementation of regional rural tourism strategies. The advantages of this approach are discussed and recommendations for modern practitioners are offered. On the basis of the study of the current state of development of rural tourism in Ukraine, current problems related to the process of sustainable development of regions during the war and determination of ways to increase the competitiveness of rural areas of Ukraine are considered. In connection with the full-scale invasion of Russia into Ukraine, the article mostly analyzes the state of development of rural tourism in the western region of Ukraine, where this development is currently possible. However, the article emphasizes the need to develop rural tourism as a tool for increasing the competitiveness of rural areas in all regions of Ukraine in the post-war period. The article also substantiates the need for the development of rural tourism in mountainous, remote areas, villages, as an important stimulus for the socio-economic development of these territories. Rural tourism is, first of all, the preservation of Ukrainian traditions, the revival of crafts, the reduction of unemployment in villages, and the raising of wages to the urban level. In accordance with the European integration processes in Ukraine, the development of rural tourism can become a powerful tool for attracting investments with effective stimulation. We consider the rural tourism development strategy to be such a stimulating mechanism for increasing the competitiveness of rural areas of Ukraine. The article proposes the main tasks and goals for such a strategy.