International Tourist Destination Research Articles

Profile of HIV/AIDS Patients with Neurological Manifestations in The Tertiary Referral Hospital in Bali

Background: Neurological manifestations in approximately half of Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) patients are related to high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Therefore, there is a need for epidemiological data on HIV/AIDS patients with neurological manifestations in Bali, as an international tourism destination. Objective: This study aimed to describe the clinical profile of neurological manifestations among patients with HIV/AIDS in the tertiary referral hospital for Bali and Nusa Tenggara region. Methods: A descriptive-retrospective study was conducted on HIV/AIDS patients presenting with neurological manifestations hospitalized in the Neurology Department of Prof. Dr. I.G.N.G Ngoerah Hospital Denpasar from January 2018 to December 2021. Results: Among the 227 subjects included in this study, the majority were male (69.9%) and HIV positive newly diagnosed (69.2%). Furthermore, out of 126 subjects who had CD4 data, the majority were with CD4 <200 cells/mm3 (85.7%) and 53.1% were <50 cells/mm3, with ages ranging from 18 to 67 years old, at a median of 36 years old. The most common neurological signs and symptoms found were paresis/paralysis (61.7%), headache (54.6%), decreased consciousness (52.9%), and cranial nerve palsy (52%). Cerebral toxoplasmosis (67.4%) and tuberculous meningoencephalitis (20.3%) were the prevalent opportunistic infections, while the mortality rate was 39.6% with sepsis as the major cause. Conclusions: Neurological manifestations are common initial symptoms in diagnosing HIV infection. Therefore, better awareness and earlier detection are required among people with risk factors of HIV transmission, particularly in groups of young and productive age with signs of immunocompromised condition as well as neurological manifestations.

Innovative sustainable business model: A case study of eco-tourism in Bukit Lawang

Sustainable development has become a crucial issue and a moral obligation for all nations. However, the implementation of sustainable business practices in Indonesia, especially in the field of the tourism industry, including the Bukit Lawang tourist destination, is still weak. This encourages tourism managers to change their business model as a step towards making Bukit Lawang an international tourist destination. This can be achieved through competency development sustainable business management model. This article attempts to apply the design thinking model to creating innovative sustainable business model in tourism in the Bukit Lawang area, using qualitative research methods and design thinking procedures. The population of this study includes tourism managers and visitors in Bukit Lawang area. Sampling techniques such as stratified sampling and purposive sampling, and both primary and secondary data were collected. This article presents a framework for sustainable tourism businesses model in Bukit Lawang, which is built based on three dimensions: facilities, services and systems. This dimension serves as a key differentiator of sustainable value propositions in tourism businesses related to the three pillars of sustainability: economic, social and environmental. The focus of this framework is creating value sustainable tourism business regarding impact reduction, risk mitigation and compliance.

Assessment and mapping of noise pollution in recreation spaces using geostatistic method after COVID-19 lockdown in Turkey

Increased use of recreational areas after the lifting of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions has led to increased noise levels. This study aims to determine the level of noise pollution experienced in recreational areas with the increasing domestic and international tourism activities after the lifting of pandemic lockdowns, to produce spatial distribution maps of noise pollution, and to develop strategic planning suggestions for reducing noise pollution in line with the results obtained. Antalya-Konyaaltı Beach Recreation Area, the most important international tourism destination of Turkey, is determined as the study area. To determine the existing noise pollution, 31 measurement points were marked at 100 m intervals within the study area. Noise measurements were taken during the daytime (07:00–19:00), evening (19:00–23:00), and nighttime (23:00–07:00) on weekdays (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) and weekends (Sunday) over 2 months in the summer when the lockdown was lifted. In addition, the sound level at each measurement point was recorded for 15 min, while the number of vehicles passing through the area during the same period was determined. The database created as a result of measurements and observations was analyzed using statistical and geostatistical methods. After the analysis of the data, it was found that the co-kriging-stable model showed superior performance in noise mapping. Additionally, it was revealed that there is a high correlation between traffic density and noise intensity, with the highest equivalent noise level (Leq) on weekdays and weekend evenings due to traffic and user density. In conclusion, regions exposed to intense noise pollution were identified and strategic planning recommendations were developed to prevent/reduce noise sources in these identified regions.

I Lost My Muslim Identity: A Study of Indonesian Muslim Women Workers in Japan

This research reviews how Japan has become an attractive destination for migrant workers and international tourists in Asia, especially those from Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia. This research aimed to explore how Indonesian female nurses maintain their religious and cultural identity a midst these challenges. The growth of migrant workers from Southeast Asia to Japan began in the 1950s after Japan joined the Colombo Plan, and accelerated following revisions to immigration control laws in the 1980s. The government-to-government (G to G) internship program has also been implemented since 1990, with Indonesian participation since 1993. Even though industry is the backbone of the Japanese economy, the population of productive human resources has experienced a significant decline, which has an impact on industrial productivity. This research used a qualitative research approach based on understanding social realities formed through the context, culture, and subjective meanings held by the informants through their experiences during migration in Japan. To overcome this, the Japanese government has taken steps to open its doors to foreign workers, including from Indonesia. Indonesia is one of the largest suppliers of migrant workers for Japan, with various types of visas such as Technical Intern Training (TITP), Specified Skilled Worker (SSW), and others. However, nursing work is often socially associated with women. In Japan, Indonesian female nurses face complex challenges, including losing their Muslim identity. Revealing uniforms and external factors such as negative stereotypes, discrimination and forced removal of the hijab complicate the situation.

Leveraging Major Sport Events’ Success Towards Positioning Qatar as a Sport Tourism Destination

Through substantial investments in the sports sector, Qatar has solidified its position as a prominent global sport events destination. Notably recognised for hosting the monumental 2006 Asian Games, this marked the inception of Qatar's evolution into a hub for sport tourism. Since then, Qatar has successfully hosted several large-scale international sporting events, culminating in the historic hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This trajectory continues with Qatar securing bids for forthcoming events such as the 2027 FIBA Basketball Cup and the 2030 Asian Games. Despite earlier unsuccessful bids for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2016 and 2020, Qatar remains committed to upholding its exceptional hosting legacy. This study seeks to discern the critical dimensions contributing to successful hosting and their broader impact on the host country. Drawing insights from a critical review of past events, including comparative analyses with FIFA World Cups from 2022, 2018, and 2014, this research aims to identify common key indicators and their influence on local communities. By discerning these elements, the study endeavours to craft a roadmap for hosting major sporting events, addressing challenges, and leveraging supporting factors. The outcomes will offer prospective agendas and recommendations intended to bolster Qatar's strategic positioning as a competitive international sport tourism destination. For aspiring nations like Qatar, these large-scale sporting events serve as catalysts for sustainable impacts that transcend the event itself.

Touristification and urban extractivism in Latin American destinations: Heritage and conflicts in Antigua Guatemala (Guatemala) and Cartagena de Indias (Colombia)

ABSTRACT Tourism is linked to new dynamics of capital accumulation in a wide variety of destinations worldwide, boosting the attraction of real estate investments. In Latin America, the state promoted tourism, advocating for the commodification of urban land leading to the regeneration of different historical centers, and then to displacement and segregation of the local population. Heritage recognition policies were a necessary part of triggering this trend, articulated with other urban dynamics, such as gentrification. Visual dimension of built environment understood as an urban landscape is a key in tourist and residential practices, as well as in investment strategies. Following an instrumental multiple study case strategy based on primary and secondary sources, and by fieldwork including interviews and photographic record, this article analyzes touristification in Antigua Guatemala (Guatemala) and Cartagena de Indias (Colombia), drawing on the theoretical concept of urban extractivism, and its relation with heritagization and gentrification processes. Both cities were founded during the colonial period, went through a heritagization process and are now consolidated as international tourist destinations. As a conclusion, touristification is considered as an expression of urban extractivism based on the reification of the built environment, in turn rooted on heritage recognition policies, overlapped with gentrification.

Sustaining subak, the balinese traditional ecological knowledge in the contemporary context of Bali

Abstract Subak is a local organization that formalizes the Balinese traditional ecological knowledge and wisdom in managing and distributing water for agricultural purposes. This organization combines cosmology, spirituality, science, ecology, and engineering dimensions of knowledge. As the current development of Bali Island as one of the international tourist destinations has changed its landscape which involves various factors such as physical, social, and cultural. Hence, to what extent the traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) practice can be sustained in the current context and development setting become our focus of study. This paper has three objectives. The first is to collate/document the various perspectives of TEK from sustainable agriculture practices, ecological principles, water irrigation systems, and spiritual practices and values as part of the learning document. The second is to analyze the interdependence of the human and environmental systems in the context of the socio-ecological system framework for Subak TEK and its cultural sustainability. Third, to outline the potential effort to sustain Subak TEK by strengthening its adaptive capacity in the broader context of learning to strengthening the community based tourism planning. This study deploy the socio-ecological system, SES framework as the underlying theory and analysis and explore diverse initiatives to sustain Subak in the future. The study was conducted in conjunction with a sustainability leadership program which deployed an inter- and transdisciplinary approach of sustainability science that focuses on Subak as its case. Situational and content analysis from the workshop discussion notes is used to provide examples that describe diverse initiatives in tourism, agriculture, and education. The study found out that the SES framework of analysis in Subak TEK documented several core ritual activities, the interpretation of THK philosophy and its local wisdom and values which represent the interaction the social and natural system. Hence, demonstrate as a living monument with strong human institutions and nature interaction. Further, the Subak TEK has substantial community capital values that need to be strengthened by integration in the formal and non-formal education, the enhancement of the Tri Hita Karana (THK) awards and accreditation for tourism operators and hotels in the broader context of education for sustainable development framework as well as community-based tourism development planning. This initiative need to be supported by a community-based tourism by involving Pekaseh and youngsters in the current context of Bali community-based tourism.

Under the Background of High-Quality Development, the Influence of Creating the Cultural Symbol of ‘Shaanxi Drama’ on Shaanxi’s Economic Development

As an ancient capital of the thirteen dynasties, Shaanxi Province has been striving to create an “international tourism destination of Chinese ancient capital culture.” In recent years, the development trend is good, and tourism performing arts have made great contributions to this, which has greatly improved Shaanxi Province, especially Xi’an, as a popular tourist destination. As a new business card of Shaanxi, it is of great significance to study what kind of cultural symbol it will create, which will become a new bright spot of Shaanxi tourism and further promote the development of the Shaanxi economy.

A reexamination of inbound tourism performance

This paper proposes to investigate tourism performance by employing fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis. International tourist destinations are examined to identify the different paths leading to high levels of tourism arrivals and tourism receipts. The findings demonstrate that tourism performance is complex and requires specific combinations of conditions to succeed. The research identifies two types of destinations that rely on different factors to achieve success: Type 1 focuses on price competitiveness, while Type 2 emphasises the quality of the experience. Furthermore, it shows that a peculiar destination performs well in terms of receipts, relying on both price competitiveness and quality of the experience despite a lack of attractions. Type 1 and Type 2 destinations have good predictive validity in a pandemic context.

Prioritizing environmental policies in Greek coastal municipalities

The aim of the present contribution has been to present a methodological framework to gauge/assess the perceptions and identify the policy priorities of local-decision-makers for the management of the coastal zone under a changing climate, on the basis of structured ‘interviews’ of the local decision makers. The framework was applied in two different coastal areas in Greece: a) Elefsina, an urban-industrial area west of Athens with a long industrial history (and the 2023 European Capital of Culture); and b) the Aegean island of Santorini/Thera, a major international tourist destination due to the rare aesthetics of its volcanic landscape. The framework implementation showed that a) policy prioritization is characterized by an (understandably) overarching objective to address immediate environmental and socio-economic challenges in short time tables due also to constraints in appropriate human and financial resources and the reliance on higher governance (regional/national) levels; b) policy axis and action prioritizations are controlled by the local environmental setting and development model; c) interestingly for coastal municipalities policy actions associated with the study/protection of coastal ecosystems ranked very low albeit for different stated reasons; and d) climate change impacts and adaptation have not been prioritized highly in both coastal municipalities, in contrast to the large impacts and needs for adaptation projected for these areas and the evolving policy and legislation frameworks. It appears that higher efforts should be made in terms of the assessment of climate change impacts, and the dissemination of the assessment results and the relevance of the evolving policy and legislation regimes to the local policy makers.

МОНЕТАРНЫЕ И НЕМОНЕТАРНЫЕ ФАКТОРЫ ФОРМИРОВАНИЯ ЭФФЕКТИВНОГО ТУРИСТИЧЕСКОГО ПРОДУКТА В РФ

Socio-economic events in the tourism services market in 2020-2023, associated with the transformation of the political and economic situation both within Russia and abroad, are determined by a number of monetary and non-monetary factors. Among the main aspects are the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, breaks in long-standing business chains in a variety of international tourist destinations, changes in the level of solvency and spending patterns of the population, as well as ideological narratives. Both these factors and their derivatives have led to the emergence of a fundamentally new configuration of the “socio-economic map of tourism” in our country. The purpose of the study is to compare the influence of both monetary components amenable to formal analysis and difficult-to-define non-monetary factors on the tourist choice of Russians, on the one hand, and on the formation of the supply of a tourism product, on the other. The article attempts to analyze the monetary and non-monetary risks of the formation of a tourism product and its effectiveness in new economic conditions. At the same time, risks are considered not so much as threats, but as potential sources of economic growth in the Russian Federation, including through the development of the Russian tourism market.

Grebeg Suro di Bumi Reog Sebagai Destinasi Wisata yang Berkemajuan

Ponorogo, which is known as Bumi Reog, have a tradition of Grebeg Suro to commemorate the night of 1 Suro or 1 Muharram in Islamic lunar year. The event holds for a full month and filled with various cultural arts performances and National Reog Festivals. It was a local wisdom turned into a progressive national and even international tourism destination. The purpose of the research is to inspire other regions to develop their own local wisdom into tourism object for economic and socio-cultural prospects. The research used anthropology tourism method with diachronic approach. The data gathered was analyzed using data triangulation technique to gain a more comprehensive understanding of a situation. The research result showed that a creative commodification on local wisdom could improve the local economy. It could be concluded that Grebeg Suro of Ponorogo, which has its roots in local wisdom, has a significant impact on the community and local economy. Among the key factor behind the successful event is its distinctive fashion. It is recommended that the event should also promote Panaragan signature batik with reog and peacock motifs and to promote culinary places that serve Ponorogo specialty foods such as sate, gule, pecel and dawet jabung.

Assessment of Kerala Tourism Industry-An Economic Perspective

The paper throws a light on the status of tourism sector of Kerala, and as a major source of economic development contributor. It is positioned as ‘God’s Own Country’ by the Department of Tourism. Every year’s millions of people are attracted by the State due to its beautiful beaches, hills stations, backwater cannels, tea gardens, ethereal waterfalls, wildlife sanctuaries, festivals and friendly people. Kerala is one of the most popular destinations for both national and international tourists in India. September to March is the ideal time for visiting the state. Kochi City, Munnar, Thiruvananthapuram, Wayanad, and Guruvayoor are popular destinations of tourists. Foreign exchange earnings from the tourism sector have been in the increasing trend since last decade, except the duration of the covid effect. It is observed that the tourism sector is vital for the economy of Kerala and the initiatives taken by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation would go a long way facilitating the development of the state. A study has been conducted to know and understand the current status of both domestic and international tourism vis-à-vis pre and post covid scenario. Simple average, percentage, and ranks are used to present and analyse the data for common understanding of the objectives. Advanced regression statistics like R square value analysis and correlation analysis is used to draw statistical inferences in the study. The authors in this paper genuinely feel that, the Hypotheses Test Results are expected to throw further light upon the utility of the study to the Academicians, Researchers, Policy Makers, and Industry Personnel as various means of Business Development and Socio Economic Contribution.

BLS Training on The Application of BLS and The Standard Operational Procedures First AID on Emergeny Tourism at Tanjung Karang Beach Donggala District

Indonesia is an archipelago consisting of around 17,508 islands, 70% of which are oceans. Indonesia's seas are rich in natural resources, including coral reefs and marine animals. However, this natural wealth can cause problems and is fatal to humans due to stings from animals in the sea. In other emergency conditions, people can drown, causing suffocation and heart attacks. First aid in emergencies is basic life support (BLS), which can be done by people who have received training. Tanjung Karang Beach is a domestic and international tourist destination; however, health services and experts in providing BLS are not yet available. The data from 2015 to 2022 reported the occurrences of tourist vehicle accidents, tourists were stung by Marlyn fish stabs, and the incident of people drowning resulted in death without emergency action. This study aimed to determine the effect of BLS training on applying BLS and standard operational procedures in emergency first aid. The research method was a quasi-experimental pretest and posttest group design. The population was lifeguards and tourist vehicle drivers, with samples taken purposively. The measurement of the application of BLS was carried out twice: before and after training. Data analysis used univariate and bivariate analyses. The results showed a mean value before training was 1.37, with a standard deviation was 0.684. The mean value after training was 14.63, and the standard deviation was 1.383. The dependent T-test results were 13.263, and the standard deviation was 1.327, with a p-value of 0.000 (p<0,005). The conclusion is that BLS training affects the application and operational standards of BLS training. Training members are recommended to apply for BLS in caring for the victims, and the Donggala Regency Government is to organize a tourist clinic in Tanjung Karang Beach and empower training personnel as rescuers.

From niches to regime: sustainability transitions in a diverse tourism destination

Until the end of WW2, the Margaret River region (MRR) was a popular domestic destination based on cave explorations. A series of incremental innovations between the 1950s and 1990s reconfigured the destination into a thriving international tourism destination that offers diverse experiences based on wine, surf, and nature. Nonetheless, contemporary external and internal forces are stimulating another shift – one towards sustainability. Apart from the global pro-sustainability agenda, this sustainability transition in tourism is mainly driven by two emerging niches: eco-accreditation and grassroots organisations. This paper adopts the multilevel perspective (MLP) – a commonly adopted framework in the sustainability transitions research field – and combines it with a typology of tourism innovation to examine the evolution of the MRR as a tourist destination. The paper addresses the ongoing sustainability transition in the MRR and discusses both top-down and bottom-up initiatives that stimulate it. In order to provide a holistic view of this transition, the paper also pays attention to the first transition in the destination (i.e. from caves to wine, surf, and nature), and examines its influence on the ongoing sustainability transition. As such, this paper aims to help bridge the gap between tourism geography and the interdisciplinary field of sustainability transitions.

FACTORS AFFECTING BRANDS AND COMPETITIVENESS OF TOURISM DESTINATIONS: AN ANALYSIS OF THE MEKONG DELTA

International travel is one of the fastest-expanding links, connecting countries worldwide and bringing them closer together. Since 1990, many Southeast Asian countries have opened their doors to international integration and have become attractive destinations for international tourists by promoting tourism development, typically Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. The study of brands and competitiveness for tourism destinations in Vietnam is essential. However, there is no research done yet to study the brands and competitiveness of destinations in Mekong Delta. This research aims to define factors affecting the brand and competitiveness of a tourism destination; its foundation is a synthesis of qualitative and quantitative research methods and it focuses on a case study in the Mekong Delta. Group conversations with specialists were held to conduct qualitative research. Research directly interviewed 650 tourists in Mekong Delta tourist areas and was used to conduct quantitative research. The research will show which specific factors affect the brand and destination competitiveness in the Mekong Delta that other researchers have not shown. The research results show that: (i) brand of a destination is affected by eight factors (tourism infrastructure, natural environment, destination adaptation, culinary culture, safety and security in tourism, hospitality, service costs and local folk music); (ii) competitiveness of a destination is affected by nine factors (tourism infrastructure, natural environment, destination adaptation, culinary culture, safety and security in tourism, human service costs, local folk music and brand). From the results, this research suggests some managerial implications for expanding brands and strengthening the destination competitiveness in the Mekong Delta.

The Minibus Taxi Industry’s Communication Strategies in Dealing with Linguistic Diversity on the Way to Business Leadership: The Case of South Africa

Informal businesses, such as the minibus taxi industry, positively contribute to the country’s economy whilst providing an essential public transport service to the linguistically diverse communities of multilingual South Africa. The systematisation of the scientific literature on the development of the minibus taxi industry proved the absence of comprehensive studies aimed at understanding the communication strategies that taxi operators use among themselves and when interacting with passengers. This paper aims to investigate the types of language strategies that take place in six taxi associations in which IsiZulu and English are the two dominant languages. This investigation is conducted against the multilingual context of the country and its attractiveness as an international and domestic tourist destination to determine how the business leadership in the taxi industry responds. The article’s theoretical framework draws from the transformative paradigm as it enables one to explore the experiences of marginalised communities. In this case, the marginalised communities are the taxi operators who stand to benefit from appropriate communication strategies. By taking the initiative and showing “agency”, they direct their efforts to solve existing problems in communication with passengers. The qualitative approach was adopted as a research methodology in which the researcher selected a structured interview approach. It involved interviews with twenty-four taxi operators and drivers who were purposefully selected in eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The participants gave an account of their experiences of bi-/multilingualism in the taxi industry during taxi association meetings, when interacting informally among themselves and in their communication with passengers. The results of the analysis of the responses of the respondents showed that the communication strategies used to mediate challenges posed by linguistic diversity are translation, interpretation, slang and language dominance. It is concluded that through their agency and by taking initiatives to deal with linguistic challenges in the eThekwini taxi industry, the economically marginalised are to be commended for being able to resolve impediments to their economic growth.

The accessibility of beaches for blind people and their guide dogs: accessible tourism and inclusion in Spain

ObjetivoEl objetivo de esta investigación es analizar la accesibilidad de las playas españolas para personas ciegas y sus perros guía como destino turístico inclusivo para turistas nacionales e internacionales.Diseño/metodología/enfoqueEsta investigación utilizó una metodología cuantitativa y cualitativa apoyada con datos de organizaciones públicas y privadas, con la finalidad de dar voz a las personas ciegas para mejorar su calidad de vida.ResultadosEste estudio presenta una nueva y sorprendente contribución sobre la accesibilidad de las playas para personas ciegas y futuros estudios relacionados con este tema. Los resultados revelaron que España tiene solo 9 playas adaptadas para invidentes, la mayoría de los destinos turísticos españoles están excluyendo a las personas invidentes y sus perros guía para disfrutar de la playa y el sol, y de sus instalaciones. En España hay un total de 3.547 playas, el 10,3% son playas adaptadas para personas con movilidad reducida, mientras que solo el 0,25% son playas adaptadas para invidentes. De hecho, los resultados también sugieren que se requieren más esfuerzos en respuesta a las necesidades de las personas ciegas en las actividades de turismo y transporte por parte de investigadores, académicos, organismos gubernamentales, empresas privadas y una sociedad más justa, solidaria y generosa.Originalidad/valorLa contribución de este trabajo es especialmente importante para la gestión de la accesibilidad de las playas españolas para personas ciegas y sus perros guía por parte de organismos públicos y privados.

Tourismpreneurship: Community Empowerment to Strengthen Digital-Based Tourism Economic Synergy in the Tomini Bay Area, Botubarani, Bone Bolango Regency

The coastal area is currently a trending spot for tourists who want to enjoy a vacation. Even now travelers are hunting for beach tourism as a diving spot for holidays, including the coast of the Tomini Bay area. Most of the Tomini Bay area is a tourist destination for local and international tourists. However, unfortunately the charm of beach tourism in the Tomini Bay area has not been broadcast nationally or internationally, either in the form of image documentation or cinematic infographics. Therefore, the purpose of this community service is to empower the community in edutourism through English language training and tourism promotion, the beach care movement, and the accessibility of tourism promotion through digital-based and bilingual cinematic infographics (virtual tour). This program is used as an initial step to form a tourism awareness group (POKDARWIS) for the Botubarani community as a form of continuing the program to strengthen the community's economy so that it is not swallowed up by the masses. This program will later form self-help and self-help groups that grow from, by and for the community as a destination for village tourism development, especially the Tomini Bay area. It is hoped that this program will be the first step to deliver Botubarani village as a tourist destination not only on a national scale, but also on an international scale.

GASTRONOMIC TOURISM AS A POPULAR DIRECTION IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY

The article is devoted to investigation of the popularity and prospects of the development of gastronomic tourism both in the whole world and in Ukraine. The directions of gastronomic tours are given and described, namely: rural tour, restaurant tour, educational tour, ecological tour, event tour and combined tour. The difference between the concepts of «cookery» and «gastronomy» is clarified, the latter term being broader. The process of formation of the local gastronomic brand, it’s components and influence on the socio-economic development of the territorial community is defined. It is indicated that for the development of a gastronomic brand, the development of a general concept, which will provide an opportunity to get acquainted with the culinary resources of a tourist destination, is relevant. The foreign experience of introducing gastronomy to the composition of the tourist product was studied. Types of gastronomic tourism are considered, which allows the segmentation of the tourist market. The culinary and cultural determinants of the evolution of the gastronomic features of the regions of Ukraine were studied. Popular international gastronomic tourism destinations were analyzed and the growth rate of tourist flows in the most popular gastronomic tourism countries was determined. The basic component of the gastronomic brand of the tourist destination of Ukraine – Podillia, namely Vinnytsia, based on the local product – cherries, has been determined. The uniqueness of the gastronomy of all regions of Ukraine and their attractiveness in the tourist sphere have been studied. The classification of gastronomic brands of the regions of Ukraine is based on the product principle. The main elements of gastronomic tourism, which are the basis of the concept of this type of tourism, are characterized. The methods of increasing the volume of gastronomic tourism in Ukraine have been studied. The centers of world gastronomic tourism were considered: France, Italy, Japan. Urban and rural gastronomic tours, their features are considered. The study of the International Tourist Culinary Association on the determination of the readiness of the countries of the world to receive gastronomic tourists was analyzed. Distinguishing features and specific rules that should be followed in a gastronomic tour are defined.