Visa-free Regime Research Articles

Статус кандидата в ЄС для України: економічні перспективи

The paper analyzes the economic prospects of Ukraine receiving the status of a candidate for the European Union. The author emphasizes that the introduction of a visa-free regime between Ukraine and the EU in 2017 was a turning point in European integration. In the work, a comparative analysis of the main articles of the commodity structure of foreign trade of Ukraine in 2013 and 2021 was carried out. Against the background of the loss of 30-50% of the country's industrial potential in the occupied territories, there was a change in the structure of exports, which is evidenced by the structure of the competitiveness of the country's economic sectors on international markets - in 2013, the share of agro-industrial complex in Ukraine's exports was 26.5%, metallurgy - 27.8 %, mechanical engineering - 16.8%. In 2021, the share of agro-industrial complex increased to 40%, and engineering decreased to 9%. There has been a significant reorientation in the geographic structure of foreign trade. In 2013, the share of the CIS was 34%, European countries - 27%. At the beginning of 2021, the share of the CIS countries in the export structure of our country is only 10%. The study analyzes four main directions of the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine with the help of the European Union (infrastructure reconstruction, continued modernization of the state, implementation of the integration agenda, increasing economic competitiveness). Therefore, the candidate status for Ukraine means, first of all, economic cooperation at a qualitatively new level.

PRELIMINARY APPLICATION OF TOURISM 4.0 DATA ANALYTICS IN ODESSA CITY REVEALS CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

Topicality. Modern tourism is recognized as one of the most important commercial activities globally. In 2019, it generated 10% of the total employment and represented a share of 10.4% of global GDP. The tourism sector in Ukraine as a whole saw slow development after independence in 1991. However, the introduction of a visa-free regime in 2005 boosted the country’s global image and visitor numbers. In 2013, Ukraine was visited by over 26 million tourists, primarily from Eastern Europe, but also from Western Europe, USA, Israel and Canada. However, tourism can impose a number of negative economic, social and environmental impacts on the destination and its region.Aims and tasks. Unfortunately, there remains a persistent gap between the tourism sector (both regulators and operators) and the appreciation and use of emerging technologies such as those applied in Tourism 4.0 that can improve its economic efficiency and environmental sustainability. The general objective of the research reported here was to test the current level and effectiveness of Tourism 4.0 technologies (or more specifically High-Performance Data Analytics - HPDA) under the conditions of a large urban coastal destination with a highly diverse economy that is not solely dependent on tourism. Data collection for the TIM took place between August 2020 and May 2021, in collaboration with the Odessa City Council Department for Culture and Tourism. Overall, 295 questions were addressed. The data could be quantitative (amount of electricity or water used per day), or more subjective expert opinion (whether and when the city suffers from traffic congestion or satisfaction of residents with levels of incoming tourists). The data was also quality controlled and labelled according to its accuracy, type (digital or analogue) and frequency of collection. The target baseline year was 2019, with data from 2018 and 2017 obtained where available for trend analysis. In addition, expert estimations of values for 2020 were also made in order to forecast future demands. Data sources fell into three broad categories: (i) government agencies at regional or national level, including the State Statistics Service of Ukraine and Ministry of Justice; (ii) private enterprises; and (3) civil society organisations.Research results. Among the results, it was found that power consumption did not significantly increase during the summer as a result of increased visitors. In addition, the revenue directly generated from a tourist tax levied on registered accommodation providers in 2019 amounted to Euro 393,100, which was only 0.11% of the city’s total budget of Euro 344,947,580. The amount contributed indirectly from other service providers (catering, entertainment, retail, transport etc) through employment and profit taxes was unknown, as was the amount lost in the informal economy.Conclusion. Through a better understanding of current patterns of tourist visits, visitor demographics and revenues, infrastructure use, resource consumption and stakeholder collaboration, the study aimed to spur innovative touristic services and policies tailored to the local challenges and opportunities. While useful insights were obtained from the TIM analysis, it proved impossible at the present time to create a robust overall model of the tourism sector in the city owing to numerous issues concerning the availability and quality of the data needed.

The Pharmaceutical Industry in New EU Member States: A Statistical Comparison with Germany. Lessons for Ukraine

Pharmaceutical production is a strategic sector of the EU economy. The authorities of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) countries that became EU members in 2004 have been building up domestic pharmaceutical industries for purposes of production and distribution of medical drugs (MDs) and medical products (MPs), on the one hand, and government assistance to business entities and public procurement, on the other. The article’s objective is to assess the change in economic performance of the pharmaceutical industry in Poland, Hungary and Czechia after their accession to EU, to make a comparative statistical analysis with Germany, the leader of pharmaceutical production in EU, and to reveal key problems of this industry development in CEE countries, in order to elaborate recommendations for Ukraine on replication of best practices and avoidance of potential risks.
 Results of research show that pharmaceutical producers (group 54 SITC Rev.4) in CEE countries have been focusing mostly on EU market, with Germany being their main partner. The turnover of high tech pharmaceutical goods in CEE countries has significantly grown after the accession to EU, along with the significantly grown imports of these goods and the increasing negative trade balance. Pharmaceutical companies in CEE countries could increase the salaries and the apparent labor productivity, but the gap between them and Germany in salary and productivity terms still remains too wide. In the studied CEE countries there has been significant increase in pharmaceutical R&D spending, but its estimated share remains quite low compared with average figures for EU (16.1%) and Germany (25.6%).
 It is substantiated that because the future Agreement between the European Community and Ukraine on conformity assessment and acceptance of industrial products (ACAA agreement, or “Industrial visa-free regime”), which is being negotiated right now, will cover the pharmaceutical industry, the Ukrainian pharmaceutics will gain benefits only given the consolidated endogenous capacities of the industry and firmly established advantages of localization providing stimuli for European companies to create production facilities and R&D centers in Ukraine (including ones for contract-based R&D and productions). It is demonstrated that the inflow of investment and technologies from European pharmaceutical companies is capable of accelerating production start-up and exports of MDs and MPs (as time need not be lost for setting up all the links of the chain), thus adding up to the assets of Ukrainian producers (through transfer of knowledge and skills), but all the above cannot compensate for domestic efforts aimed at creating tangible and intangible assets in the industry. Given its Eurointegration context, Ukraine needs to pursue the policy of increasing the industry’s endogenous capacities and rely on the comprehensive approach (instead of focusing on MDs and MPs) that will cover the following key areas: biological and chemical ingredients, medical equipment, pharmaceutical fillers and packages, equipment and apparatus for pharmaceutical production. This is expected to reduce the dependence of Ukrainian pharmaceutics on imports and eliminate the problem of “truncated industrialization” that can cause structural imbalances, worsen the balance of payments and weaken the national currency.

PROSPEC PROSPECTIVE DEVEL TIVE DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN'S PIL T OF WOMEN'S PILAGNIC TOURISM IN UZBEKISTAN

Introduction. Diversification of tourism products and services aimed at various segments of the country's tourism market, further increasing their competitiveness, creating a favorable and convenient domestic and international tourism environment, expanding transport routes, improving the quality of transport services, promoting tourism products, as well as a number of decisions were made aimed at strengthening its image as a safe place to receive. A list of countries has been compiled that from January 1, 2020, will introduce a 30-day visa-free regime for their citizens. A working group has been created to study the state of roads and roadside infrastructure along the Tourist Highway of Uzbekistan. Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan on measures to further develop the tourism industry in the Republic of Uzbekistan in order to dramatically increase the number of foreign citizens entering the country, as well as in accordance with the main directions of the tourism concept. Development in the Republic of Uzbekistan in 2019-2025:

STATE REGULATION OF LABOR MIGRATION ABROAD IN THE CONTEXT OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF UKRAINE

The article is devoted to the subject analysis of tools and definition of priorities of the state regulation of labor migration of citizens of Ukraine abroad in the context of social and economic development of the state. It is determined that the state regulation of migration processes includes monitoring, development and application of information, administrative, organizational, market and social mechanisms to reduce their intensity, mitigate the negative consequences, ensure socio-economic balance in the domestic labor market. Ukraine is an active participant in the world labor market, providing the economic systems of foreign countries with more than 3 million workers annually. It is shown that the rapid development of migration processes is due to such factors as low efficiency of the socio-economic system, insufficient consistency of government in carrying out reforms. The increase in migration processes was facilitated by Ukraine’s acquisition of a visa-free regime with the EU, which greatly simplified the procedures for Ukrainians to travel abroad. The positive consequences of labor migration are the reduction of tension in the labor market, increasing the welfare of households through foreign exchange earnings, the transfer of new knowledge and experience. The negative consequences of labor migration are the outflow of young people and professionals, the shortage of highly qualified labor specialists, the deteriorating demographic situation, rising consumer prices in the domestic market. The main priority of state regulation of labor migration is the management of socio-economic factors influencing the living conditions and activities of citizens, the variability of which is due to the redistribution of investment flows in the national economic system and social forms of consumption. It is shown that despite the positive dynamics in the labor market, the unemployment rate remains high, the average salary is one of the lowest in Europe, and more than 10 million people are below the poverty line. The tasks of state regulation of migration character are generalized and the corresponding measures of regulatory influence are offered. Further research is recommended to focus on the regulation of motivational factors of labor migration and the development of tools to mitigate the negative effects of migration for the development of socio-economic potential of Ukraine.

ТУРИЗМ ТА ТРУДОВА МІГРАЦІЯ НАСЕЛЕННЯ В КОНТЕКСТІ МІЖНАРОДНОЇ ІНТЕГРАЦІЇ УКРАЇНИ

International processes of globalization are intensifying labor migration. With the proclamation of independence in Ukraine, migration processes, especially labor, have significantly revived, and obtaining a visa-free regime has greatly simplified the international mobility of its citizens. In this regard, studies of the relationship between tourist activity and labor migration of the population of Ukraine are updated. A comparison of the essence of the concepts of “migration” and “tourism” indicates the presence of common essential features, in particular the moment of movement. This makes tourism one of the types of migration and a classification unit of international migration. Other common features are due to certain aspects of migration and tourist movements, their functions. Despite these common features, tourism and migration are not identical. It is more appropriate to consider tourism as a form of human resource movement that makes it similar to migration, and such a variety as international tourism can serve as an incentive for further migration, primarily labor or educational, legal or illegal. It is determined that increasing the spatial activity of human resources to change their socio-economic characteristics, expanding worldview and accumulation of knowledge, as well as the transformation of forms in international movement of these resources cause diversity of actions and relationships that indirectly affect the movement of individuals. This, in turn, leads to a combination of tourism and migration processes both in terms of their essence and practical implementation. It is established that the main modern issues of the international movement of human resources, some forms of which are migration and tourism, are: international conceptualization and unification of terminology, optimization of accounting methodology, development of new multilevel systems of management and regulatory influence. Key words: international human resources movement; tourism; labor migration; illegal migration; integration.

ВЛИЯНИЕ ВНЕШНЕЙ ТРУДОВОЙ ЭМИГРАЦИИ НА РЫНОК ТРУДА ТАДЖИКИСТАНА

The article examines the factors and scale of labor emigration from Tajikistan to Russia. As well as the impact on the GDP of Tajikistan of remittances from Russia of Tajik labor migrants and their role in the formation of the labor market and the creation of new jobs in the Republic of Tajikistan. Traditionally, the main directions of labor migration for citizens of Tajikistan in recent years have been and remain the Russian Federation, the Republic of Kazakhstan and some CIS countries. There is no need for citizens of Tajikistan to obtain visas to these countries, since there is an agreement on a visa-free regime between Tajikistan and the CIS countries. The role of Tajik migrants' remittances in the socio-economic development of Tajikistan, including households and individual regions, is very large, and Tajikistan is among the leading countries in the world with a high share of migrant remittances in the gross domestic product. Russia remains the main channel of emigration for Tajiks, and it is from Russia that most of the remittances of Tajik emigrants are sent. The motivating factor for the transfer of funds is the fact that migrants take care of their family, loved ones, those left at home: spouses, children, parents and members of wider family and social circles.

Аналіз туристичного попиту в Україні: сучасний стан і перспективи

The article is aimed at analyzing the tourist flow in Ukraine. An analysis of the UNWTO research shows that in the period up to 2030 an increase of the tourism profits by almost 2 times compared to 2010 is forecast. At the same time, there is a tendency of an increase in the interest of Ukrainians in holidays abroad, despite a number of political and economic reasons. It should be noted that the number of tourism activities entities operating in Kharkiv region occupy 6.2% of the total number of such entities in Ukraine. Analyzing the statistics, it should be noted that of the top 10 countries that Ukrainians chose for travel, 9 are countries focused on swimming and beach holidays, as well as those that are the leaders of package tours from the tour operators of Ukraine. The first place was taken by Egypt as an all-year-round tourist destination. For this country, tour operators put charter programs throughout the year, offering three main resorts: Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada and Marsa Alam. The second place is taken by Turkey , the leading country for choosing a vacation among Ukrainians. It is worth noting that in addition to traditional Antalya, also the resorts such as Dalaman, Bodrum and Izmir are gaining popularity in Kharkiv region. Spain and the UAE have significantly increased volumes, Greece received a traditionally high percentage. Upon the carried out analysis, it is possible to state the dynamics of growth of the number of Ukrainians traveling abroad. This is facilitated by such factors as the introduction of a visa-free regime and the arrival of low-cost airlines in the Ukrainian market. For the development of domestic tourism, a positive point is the opening of direct air communication between the cities of Ukraine. Thus, the introduction of seasonal regional routes, for example, Kharkiv – Odesa or Kharkiv – Lviv allows generating the flow of domestic tourists to the main tourist destinations of the country, and Ukrainians get the opportunity to travel around Ukraine quickly and at competitive prices.

ЭКОЛОГИЧЕСКАЯ МИГРАЦИЯ ИЗ ЦЕНТРАЛЬНОЙ АЗИИ В РОССИЮ

Developing countries and low-income countries with rapidly growing populations and underdeveloped agricultural technologies are most vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters. The countries of Central Asia are already exposed to the impact of natural and climatic changes due to insufficient financial and technical capabilities to overcome negative climatic and environmental phenomena. The authors predict an increase in the ecological migration of the population from Central Asia to Russia due to the visa-free regime, territorial proximity, established migrant social networks and other factors, which partially will compensate for the Russian population decline. Without a legal channel for environmental migration, these flows will be forced to use the labor migration channel. However, there are a number of potential negative consequences that need to be further scrutinized.

Українська освітня студентська міграція у контексті глобалізаційних викликів

Глобалізація створила умови для вільного переміщення багатьох людей між країнами та континентами з метою працевлаштування, і це явище має стійкий характер: закриті сьогодні з приводу пандемії «Ковід-19» кордони завтра неминуче відкриються. Цьому сприяє головний економічний ефект глобалізації, який забезпечує більш розвинені країни дешевою робочою силою, а менш розвинуті долучає до сучасних технологій. Мільйони людей, у тому числі й молодь Україні, вже звикли до такого способу життя, який передбачає міграційні поїздки, іноді довготривалі. Останніми роками стає помітною серед українських трудових мігрантів нова група – студентська молодь. Автори статті розглядають цей соціальний факт з різних боків, аналізують його значення для сучасного українського суспільства і дають оцінку з позиції перспектив функціонування українського суспільства. Головним висновком авторів є вказівка на майбутній системний структурний дисбаланс, що загрожує безпеці країни у цілому.

Analysis of the market of international tourist services of Ukraine (for the period 2007-2017)

The state of development of the tourism industry in Ukraine for the period 2007- 2017 is analyzed. It is established that it does not correspond to the existing potential of tourist resources, and the economic efficiency of the tourism industry is low. One of the main reasons for this situation is the lack of theoretical understanding of the socio-economic nature of tourism as a social phenomenon and its economic significance as a profitable industry. The tourism industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of the world economy. This increases the competitiveness of countries and regions, creating new jobs and improving living standards. It is proved that self-regulation of the tourist market is a necessary condition for its functioning. The dynamics of export-import of tourist services of Ukraine is analyzed. There is a tendency to a slight increase in the cost of services in the last years of the study period. In the interaction “government regulation - market” the primary link is the market, and government regulation is a tool that provides the general conditions of its existence, equalizes the conditions of the start of its subjects and eliminates, if possible, the negative manifestations of the market element. The activities of the tourism industry in Ukraine are analyzed. There is a tendency to reduce the number of enterprises in the tourism industry in recent years of the study period. The rating of tour operators by the number of served tourists and by the reviews of tourists is analyzed. The place and role of the Ukrainian tourism business in the world market of tourist services has been identified. The situation on the world market of tourist services of Ukraine is considered and it is concluded that one of the favorable conditions for tourism development in Ukraine was the adoption of visa-free regime with EU countries, the tourist market gradually recovered after the crisis of 2014, and Ukrainians begin to conquer Europe. 2017 can be called the year of tourism development in Ukraine: the flow increased rapidly, and the number of permits for sale, according to the State Statistics Committee of Ukraine, increased by 36%. Citizens of Ukraine who went abroad formed the group that used the services of tourism entities the most. It was found that the largest number of tourism entities is concentrated in the city of Kyiv and in Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv and Odessa regions.

MILESTONES VS. PERCENTS: HOW DO WE REALLY MEASURE UKRAINE’S EUROPEAN INTEGRATION PROGRESS?

The publication of the 2017 Report on implementation of the Association Agreement introduced the quantitative approach in evaluation of the eurointegration progress of Ukraine. The publication of the report launched a discussion between experts and government representatives on the possibility and relevancy of quantitative evaluation of Association Agreement in percent. The government approach to evaluate the progress was criticized by the experts and, according to them, the genuine success of Ukraine in the implementation of the Association Agreement is far below the government report meanings. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine expressed doubts on relevancy of percentage evaluation of the eurointegration success. He claimed that it was crucial to review the results of important projects, such as visa-free regime, rather than focus on percent and implemented directives. The authors of the article attempt to answer the following questions. Is it possible to measure the eurointegration achievements of Ukraine in quantitative measurements and is it relevant to carry out such calculations? It is clear that European integration of Ukraine affects all spheres of the public life. As it is impossible to observe all spheres, the research focuses on three following spheres: fulfilment of the obligations according to the Association Agreement with the EU; trade with the EU; fight against corruption. For the first time in Ukraine, European integration has become a transparent, measurable and accountable state policy. Although considerable amount of research has been devoted to the quantitative measurements of the progress on implementation of the Association Agreement between EU and Ukraine and it give an opportunity to monitor both the overall progress and the progress in particular spheres. However, these three components – the Association Agreement, the Copenhagen Criteria and the Sustainable Development Goals – are a reliable guide to the successful long-term development of Ukraine, ensuring prosperity of all citizens. Of course, not all results are positive, and progress often means even more challenges ahead. Insufficient institutional capacity of the authorities hinders the realization of the potential of the European integration course in full volume, correctly determine the sequence of steps, and calculate ways to achieve goals, look for the necessary solutions for stakeholders to take full advantage of all the benefits. A general conclusion is made concerning the evaluation of the European integration achievements of Ukraine and not only in spheres that have been observed in this article. These indicators point to important issues and help to understand the overall progress. The findings are of direct practical relevance because such approach is important in case of information campaign aimed at informing people on aspects of European integration of Ukraine. This paper has clearly shown that the key indicator in measuring the results of the European integration of Ukraine is the level of life of Ukrainian citizens. The European reforms must bring tangible benefits. Victorious statements on Association will not convince Ukrainian society in the correctness of the European integration direction.

Local border traffic as a liberalization of the Schengen legal regime in the regional dimension with particular regard to the EU-Ukraine border

Local border traffic has a legal basis in the Schengen acquis and is related to the EU’s free movement of persons, which, subject to certain conditions, is also available to third-country nationals. The subject of the article is the legal analysis of the Schengen regime in the context of cross-border cooperation with selected third countries on the external eastern border. The research thesis is proving that local border traffic is an exception to the Schengen regime and at the same time defines the regional dimension of the Schengen area. These analyses will be based on the practical context, which is the operation of the local border traffic on the example of the external eastern border of the European Union, particularly the EU-Ukraine border, which is also the external border of the EU and the Schengen area. In this context, the impact of the liberalized Schengen regime on the movement of people across the EU-Ukraine external border will be examined, which will indicate its phased nature with particular emphasis on the role of local border traffic as a transition phase between visa and visa-free traffic. The article uses comparative statistical data on both forms of liberalization of the Schengen legal regime on the border with Ukraine. At the same time, considering the local border traffic on the EU-Ukraine border, it is worth putting forward a thesis that the local border traffic is increasingly being replaced by visa-free travel. In addition, the LBT became the first step to introduce a visa-free regime, which is further liberalization of the Schengen regime.

Tourist Clusters as a Factor in Activating Cross-Border Spatial Development

Tourism is one of the factors of local economic development and cross-border cooperation on EU borders, reducing the risk of economic recession in those areas. The purpose of the article is to reveal trends in the development of cross-border tourism on the Polish-Belarusian border and to verify the following research issues: 1) whether the economic sanctions introduced by EU countries on Russia after 2014 reduced cross-border traffic on the Polish-Belarusian section of the EU border; 2) to what extent the tourist potential of the Polish-Belarusian region corresponds to the demand in the modern European market; 3) how the new visa-free travel mechanisms activate tourist markets; 4) to what extent tourism stimulates the development of new forms of urban growth in the cultural landscapes of the cross-border region. The process of shaping tourism clusters as a form of the spatial organisation of tourism development in cross-border regions was analysed using analytical and synthetic methods. The research area covers the eastern border of Poland on the section of its border with Belarus. The primary research and empirical materials were obtained from the Central Statistical Office of Poland and the Statistical Committee of Belarus on tourism on the eastern border of Poland in the years 2015–2018. An investigation of the subject literature and source documents, as well as field observations and statistical analyses, were carried out. Particular attention was paid to the creation of a visa-free regime region in the special tourist zones of “Brest” and “Grodno” in the border regions of Belarus.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF DEVELOPMENT INTERNATIONAL TOURISM AND LABOR MIGRATION

The article considers modern forms of the international movement of human resources: international tourism and labor migration. The research methods used in the process of writing the article involved the application of general scientific and empirical techniques of economics, based on a systematic approach. It is determined that international tourism is a form of international movement of human resources, has a mass character and is one of the leading highly profitable and most dynamic sectors of the world economy. The main tourist tendencies in the international tourist market by traditional geographical macroregions are investigated. The most attractive tourist destinations to visit according to the results of the popular international tourist portal Lonely Planet are analyzed. Ukraine is an active participant in the international tourism industry. In 2018, the largest number of citizens from Ukraine left for Poland and amounted to almost 10 million people. The author draws attention to one of the socio-economic problems for national security: large-scale labor and educational migration of Ukrainians to foreign countries, which sometimes becomes permanent (ie leads to a change of country of residence). The acquisition of the right to free movement by Ukrainian citizens coincided with profound structural socio-economic and political transformations, accompanied by rising unemployment. It is studied that the introduction of visa-free regime between Ukraine and the EU and increasing the dynamics of labor migration processes form a tendency to reduce labor supply in the market in Ukraine, deteriorating professional qualifications of the economically active population at the most productive age. It was found that the transformation of market relations non-market forms of management destroys the old forms of management, freeing a large labor force, which is not used in low-capacity industrial centers of Ukraine and forced to look for work in the international labor market. Meeting the specific needs of migrants has a multiplier effect on the economy by spending money on telephone conversations with family, visiting the homeland, sending remittances.

THE TOURIST MARKET IN UKRAINE: TRENDS AND HIDDEN OPPORTUNITIES

Introduction. The analysis of the tourist market of Ukraine is carried out and on its basis prospects of development are given in article. According to the World Economic Forum, over the past two years, Ukraine has had the fastest growth rate in the sub-region, having risen by 10 places and ranked 78th in the world in the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index. Instead, the World Tourism and Travel Council's growth forecast for the domestic tourism industry over the coming years is rather insignificant and driven primarily by a small amount of investment in the sector. The purpose of the article is to highlight the current trends and hidden opportunities for the Ukrainian tourist market development in the conditions of unstable socio-economic situation in Ukraine and in the world, as well as to identify perspectives of this phenomenon. Research methodology. The study uses theoretical, methodological and systematic methods of source base analysis, descriptive and structural analysis to evaluate the state of the tourism market in Ukraine and its development prospects. Results of this study: It was found that the number of Ukrainian tourists in European resorts has increased since the visa-free regime. With the appearance of low-cost companies in Ukraine, transport infrastructure has improved, regional airports have begun to develop and new routes have been opened, which has significantly affected the number of tourists. The increase in the passenger traffic of the major Ukrainian airports is being observed. The project "Tourist Clusters 300+" was created, which according to the initiators of the project will bring to the country up to 1.5 billion dollars investment. Conclusions. In general, Ukraine has become more accessible to foreigners and domestic tourists alike. Among the priority areas for tourism development in Ukraine are the domestic tourism development, promotion of the country abroad, infrastructure and education in the tourism sector. Keywords: tourist market, inbound travel, outbound travel, low cost airlines, tourist clusters.

Assessing the Scale of Illegal Migration in Russia: Possible Approaches and Sources of Information

The article discusses various approaches to estimate the scale of illegal migration in Russia, based on the use of administrative data of the Federal Migration Service, the Main Directorate for Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (MDM) and the Border Service of Russia. It is noted that the problem of assessing illegal migration for the Russian Federation has become very relevant since the late 1990s, when the migration landscape changed, and forced migration flows were replaced by mass labor migration, mostly undocumented.The article discusses the definitions of illegal migration and the main methodological and practical approaches to determining its scale. It is emphasized that in Russian practice, the definition of illegal migrants mainly implies foreigners with short-term or temporary status, working without permits and without the right to stay in Russia (most often, due to the excess of the permitted duration of stay). This narrowing of definitions is explained by the nature of migration processes in Russia: the predominance of short-term and temporary forms of migration, mainly for the purpose of employment, as well as visa-free entry for 90% of labor migrants.The paper provides a brief overview of the foreign practices of assessing illegal migration and explains the possibilities of using these methods in Russia. Several methodological approaches are considered in the article, based on different types of statistical information and involving different calculation algorithms for assessment of the stocks and flows of illegal migrants. In particular, it describes the system of criteria related to the right to work and stay in Russia, which was until recently used by the MDM of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia to identify the stock of violators among foreigners who were staying at a certain moment of time on the territory of Russia. In addition, a method of reclassification of purposes of entry to estimate the stock of potential undocumented labour migrants is being considered. To calculate the number of long-term illegal migrants staying in Russia for more than a year, it is proposed to use the “residual method”, which is common in foreign practice. The article also shows the possibility of assessing the flows of undocumented labor migrants based on comparison of data on migrants’ registration at a place of stay with the purpose “work” with the number of persons who received permits. The method based on the border control data which was used in early 2000s is discussed from a critical point of view.All approaches are illustrated with relevant statistical examples and accompanied by comments on possible vulnerabilities, dealing with both the data itself and the methodology. Explanations are given regarding the prospects and limitations of the materials of the all-Russian population censuses and the Labor Force Survey for estimates of illegal migration. In the final section of the article, the author formulates some recommendations to adjust the methodology for assessing the scale of illegal migration in Russia, for improvement of its accuracy. The necessity of changing the time criteria associated with excess of permitted duration of stay (those with visa and visa-free regime of entry to Russia) and the feasibility of structuring the stock of illegal migrants by duration of stay, that will allow to identify those who already refer to the permanent population, and to improve the international comparability of the Russian estimates.

The data science tools for research of emigration processes in Ukraine

The process of world globalization, labor, and academic mobility, the visa-free regime with the EU countries have caused a significant revival of migration processes in Ukraine. However, there is still the research gap in the most informative, and, at the same time, accurate method of the assessment and forecasting of the migration flows. Thus, the object of research is migration processes (mostly emphasizing the emigration flows). The motives, causes of emigration processes, and their relationship with the economic state were analyzed. The impact factors of external labor migration on the economy of the host countries were revealed, particularly the negative and positive impacts of emigration on the socio-economic situation in Ukraine and the migration attitude of Ukrainians were assessed.The main result of study is further development of the econometric model for forecasting the number of emigrants from Ukraine to other countries in the nearest future. The model considers the factors of minimum wage lavel in Ukraine, the number of open vacancies in the countries of Eastern Europe, and the level of competition for jobs. According to the results of forecasting based on Maple computer algebra system and Microsoft Power BI analytical platform, by the end of 2019, the number of emigrants from Ukraine supposed to be the largest in the last four years and to reach the estimates in the range from 2,444 to 2,550 million people, which may indicate a new third wave of emigration processes.

Types and forms of illegal (smuggling) movement and / or transport to the territory (from the territory) of Ukraine

The article emphasizes that combating illegal (smuggling) movement and / or transportation is one of the priority activities of the state. The statistical reporting of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine on counteracting illegal (smuggling) movement and / or transportation is analyzed. It is noted that despite the considerable legal and regulatory framework in the field of combating smuggling and other types of illegal movement and / or transportation across the customs border of Ukraine, the number of cases of offenses in this area is increasing. The absence of sound scientific development of the types and forms of smuggling (export) to the territory (from the territory) of illegal migrants, inventory, narcotic drugs and their precursors, etc. is noted. The special relevance of such studies is emphasized in the context of the visa-free regime and the regimes established during the resolution of the internal armed conflict. The current national legislation in the field of combating illegal (smuggling) movement and / or transportation to the territory (from the territory) of illegal migrants, inventory, narcotics and their precur-sors is analyzed. Some types of illegal (smuggling) movement and / or transportation have been identified and investigated. Emphasis is placed on the classification of legal liability for illegal (smuggling) movement and / or transportation. External detection of smuggling by means of which smuggling is carried out outside customs control or by means of concealment from customs control is designated as a form of illegal (smuggling) movement and / or transportation to the territory (from the territory) of illegal migrants, inventory and their narcotics precursors. The relationship between the form and method of illegal (smuggling) movement and / or transportation has been proved. The conclusion was made about the need to amend the legislation in this area.

The Republic of Moldova and visa-free regime: Problems and solutions

The article analyzes the visa-free regime of the Republic of Moldova within the framework of the CIS and the European Union. The main steps towards achieving the visa-free regime are reviewed. The authors investigate the process of implementing the visa-free regime with the European Union as a recent success of the Republic of Moldova. At the same time, the authors identify the positive and negative effects that accompany the introduction of the Republic of Moldova — European Union visa-free regime. A comparative analysis with other post-Soviet countries that have also obtained the visa-free regime (Georgia and Ukraine) is conducted. The authors note that a visa- free regime is an important tool that allows the EU to regulate relations with third countries. This regime provides important benefits for citizens and strengthens social, cultural, and economic ties between the EU and its partners. At the same time, the visa-free regime holds it responsible for maintaining the progress achieved in the framework of the visa liberalization dialogues and for ensuring a well-managed migration and security environment. The article makes wide use of statistical and sociological data as well as analytical and empirical materials.