NATIONAL AND REGIONAL POLICIES FOR DEVELOPING THE POTENTIAL OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY OF UKRAINE
Main Article Content
Abstract
defined by the dual pressures of full-scale war and the European integration process. The pre-war tourism model, which contributed significantly to GDP and employment, has been shattered. The loss of key assets, traditional markets, and the need for post-conflict reconstruction necessitate not just recovery but a fundamental reimagining of the sector’s development paradigm. Central to this transformation is the effective mobilization of international cooperation to attract investment, technology transfer, and rebuild a competitive national brand. However, the current national and regional policies for fostering such cooperation are marked by systemic dysfunctions. This study investigates the critical disconnect between strategic ambitions and practical implementation, proposing a new governance model to unlock Ukraine's tourism potential in the context of sustainable development, European integration, and post-war rebuilding.
Purpose. The purpose of this study is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of national and regional policies for developing the potential of international cooperation in Ukraine's tourism industry. It aims to examine the mechanisms for unlocking the country's tourism potential under the current conditions of martial law and European integration. The article is focused on scientifically substantiating a new, synergistic management model capable of overcoming institutional fragmentation and ensuring effective interaction between different levels of government to mobilize international resources.
Methods. The research is based on a systematic approach, employing a combination of comparative, institutional, and economic analysis methods. The empirical foundation consists of data from international organizations (UNWTO, OECD, WTTC), national statistics of Ukraine, the country’s regulatory and strategic documents (e.g., Tourism Development Strategy until 2026), and generalizations of practical experience from Ukrainian tourism enterprises. To identify structural gaps and regional differentiation, methods of economic-statistical and SWOT analysis were applied. For the formalization and visualization of the proposed governance model, the method of schematic modeling was used, allowing for a clear representation of institutional interactions and information flows.
Results. The analysis revealed a critical structural gap between the strategic goals declared at the national level and the real possibilities for their implementation at the regional level. This gap is caused by chronic budget underfunding, institutional fragmentation of authority among various state bodies, and the absence of effective coordination mechanisms. The differentiated tourism potential of Ukraine's regions was classified (e.g., cross-border Euro-integration clusters, internal cultural-historical hubs, post-occupation recovery zones), and specific barriers to its realization were identified.
As a solution, an innovative "Hub & Spokes" governance model is proposed. This model implies a transformation of public administration from a traditional regulatory and hierarchical logic to a service-oriented and networked one. The core of the model is the creation of a National Tourism Cooperation Centre (the Hub) as a key economic mechanism. This Hub is designed to provide regions (the Spokes) with a comprehensive toolkit for international engagement. Its functions include: aggregating access to international grants and investment projects; providing market analytics and data; operating a digital B2B/B2G platform ("Ukraine Tourism Gateway") for investment proposals and partnership matching; and managing consolidated destination marketing under a unified national brand. The model explicitly integrates the principles of digitalization and the formation of thematic tourism clusters (e.g., Carpathian cross-border cluster) as drivers of growth.
Furthermore, the study proposes a set of specific economic and legal instruments to support the model, such as the creation of Tourism Investment Funds (TIFs) with tax incentives for de-occupied territories and a system of state or donor-backed guarantees for international tour operators to mitigate perceived risks.
Originality. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the development of an integrated economic mechanism for managing international tourism cooperation, tailored to the unique conditions of post-conflict recovery and European integration. For the first time, a holistic institutional design is proposed, combining the principles of network synergy, digitalization, cluster development, and sustainable development into a single "Hub & Spokes" model. The originality is also evidenced by the comprehensive package of proposed economic and legal instruments (TIFs, guarantee schemes), which are directly linked to the institutional framework, moving beyond general recommendations to actionable policy tools.
Conclusion. The study concludes that the effective development of international cooperation in Ukrainian tourism requires a paradigm shift in public administration. Overcoming the existing institutional fragmentation and unlocking regional tourism potential is possible through the implementation of a synergistic model based on service logic, digitalization, and cluster development. The proposed "Hub & Spokes" model and the accompanying economic and legal instruments provide a concrete roadmap for enhancing the sector's investment attractiveness, accelerating its post-war recovery, and ensuring its sustainable development. The practical implementation of these recommendations will enable a more effective mobilization of international resources, fostering the successful integration of Ukrainian tourism into the European and global market, thereby contributing significantly to the national economy's resilience and growth.
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