Development of railway tourism is in Ukraine

Abstract

Objective. The aim of this article is to analyze the development of railway tourism in Ukraine and other countries around the world to suggest additional events for the implementation of sightseeing tourism on narrow gauge tracks in Carpathians region. Methodology. Historical methods, methods of observation, generalization, methods of change and competitiveness management were used to study the development of tourism in Ukraine. Results. Based on this analysis we can say that the railway tourism was sufficiently developed during the Soviet Union times, but not large-scale. After Ukraine became independent, transport tourism almost does not develop. This is due to the lack of the required quality of passenger coaches and their deterioration. At the same time rail transport is widely used for different types of tourist travel abroad. Scientific novelty. Approach for the implementation of railway tourism in Ukraine has been further developed. It is based on the organization of rail sightseeing tours of the existing narrow gauge track in the Carpathian and Transcarpathian regions by domestic and foreign tourist companies. This will allow to use the narrow railway tracks more efficiently and to get additional revenues to the local budgets. Practical meaningfulness. Implementation of this approach will allow to ground the economic feasibility of using existing narrow railway tracks, which are currently being used for transportation of timber cargo, to hold daily sightseeing trips for European and Ukrainian tourists in special rolling stock.