Assessment of Reserved Areas for Sustainable Ecotourism in Khmelnytskyi region, Ukraine

Abstract

Ukraine has recently started promoting and developing some sectors of tourism despite its rich cultural heritage, natural resources and protected areas. Most visited tourist attractions are located in Kyiv, Odesa and Lviv, while the remote locations are less studied. To promote ecological tourism in urban territories, to properly manage protected areas and maximize economic benefits for the local community, research on the assessment of reserved areas should be carried out. Khmelnytskyi region ranks third among administrative-territorial units in Ukraine with a high level of the conservancy. However, only limited reserved areas and natural monuments like “Podilski Tovtry”, “Verkhnіe Pobuzhzhia” and “Malovanka" are at the centre of tourism interests. The present article reviews IUCN categories of reserved areas in Khmelnytskyi region in line with Davey’s management objectives and Leung’s management approach to tourism. Most of the natural monuments, national parks, and protected landscapes in the Khmelnytskyi region are suitable for tourism and recreation. Developing ecotourism will assist in attracting investors, and provide additional income to the local community along with creating jobs for temporarily displaced people during wartime in Ukraine.