IMPLEMENTATION OF MARKETING INSTRUMENTS INTO ANTI-CRISIS PROGRAMS OF NATIONAL TOURIST MARKET PLAYERS

Abstract

The article gives grounding to importance of implementation of marketing instruments into anti-crisis programs of main players of tourist operators segment of national tourist market. It points out that anti-crisis marketing is aimed at giving assistance to tourist market players to identify the perspectives of the market, elaborate strategic trends and choose tactical instruments of exit from the crisis situation with minimal losses.
 It regards the consequences of the current crisis for tourist sector: economic consequences, consequences for means of living and goals of sustainable development, consequences for environment and climate, cultural consequences.
 It is also pointed out that the current crisis forms unprecedented possibilities of interaction transformation between tourism and nature, climate and economics. It is determined that certain innovational startup-projects can suggest solution of saving the tourist domain from consequence of Corona virus, form added value, have tested prototype and business-plan as well as the potential for use in other countries.
 It accentuates attention on marketing activities connected with renovation of internal tourism, involvement of internal tourists, on the necessity to study trends, potential demand, prepare new products, establish communications with tourists with orientation to national tourist destinations. At the same time, the article describes problems that accompany tourist operators’ work with national accommodation means and absence of state program of internal tourism development with strict performance control.
 The article also analyses activity of the biggest tourist operators of Ukraine in conditions of current crisis and their interaction with tourist agencies and tourists: Anex tour, Join UP!, TUI Ukraine. It makes the conclusion that in spite of difficult situation with pandemic, quarantine restrictions and lockdowns, recurrent waves of COVID-19, restrictions of entry and stay in many popular tourist destinations, the majority of tourist operators did not terminate marketing activity, adapted to the realia of the pandemic. It is pointed out that Ukrainian tourist market players must take into account a number of factors that will determine customer behaviour (choosing shorter terms of rest, preference to individual travel (auto-tourism), individual transfers, individual accommodation, priority of choosing wellness, marine and rural tourism) and select adequate marketing anti-crisis instruments. The article draws attention to popular leisure concept of bleisure (mix of rest and work) as a response to active development of remote work topic and increasing number of “digital travellers”. Such marketing approach is caused by the necessity not only to continue the tourist season but also to develop cultural and historic tourism, shopping tourism, wellness tourism.