RECREATION AND TOURISM AS FACTORS OF HUMAN POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The article considers the role of recreation and tourism in human development in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals Program implementation, which includes balancing the economic, social and natural environment based on the principles of accessibility, equality, justice and choice. The purpose of the article is to study the state of the recreational and tourist sphere of Ukraine, to reveal its role in ensuring human development and to propose practical recommendations for increasing human potential through the introduction of sustainable socially-oriented affordable tourism and recreation. The study was conducted using a comprehensive methodological approach based on the human-centric paradigm, which involves knowledge of economic phenomena and processes, taking into account the impact of social relations and other non-economic factors. The essence of the concepts of human potential, sustainable development of tourism and recreation is highlighted, the refined definitions of key concepts are proposed. The socio-economic factors of creation and effective use of human potential, the role of the recreational and tourist sphere are highlighted. Based on the analysis of statistical data, it is shown that Ukraine has sufficient potential for the development of recreation and tourism, but it is developing slowly due to political and socio-economic instability, low investment attractiveness and low incomes, has an insufficient impact on the economy and social sphere. This was, in our opinion, one of the reasons for the decline of Ukraine’s position in the world ranking of countries on the human development index from 45 in 1990 to 88 in 2019. The conceptual position on the need to expand the social base of progressive transformations by moving from social dialogue to effective tripartite social partnership and the restoration of the previously disbanded National Social Partnership Council (NSPC) as a permanent body at the state level and similar bodies at sectorial, regional and local levels is substantiated. Recommendations that will help accelerate the sustainable development of the recreational and tourism sector and increase its social performance are proposed.