Environmental and socio-economic constrains on tourism development in the region

Abstract

Tourism belongs to economic sectors, which demonstrate the most dynamic development and transformation. In recent years, the popularity of domestic tourism in Ukraine has grown significantly, which is triggered particularly by the intensification of the population’s life activities and forced objective factors, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and Russian aggression against Ukraine. These have resulted in restrictions on foreign travel and relocation of citizens to relatively safe western regions. At the same time, the development of domestic tourism has not only positive, but also negative sides, the main of which include the increase of anthropogenic load on regional ecosystems, depletion of certain natural resources, and, in general, potential negative impact on the environment. First of all, such types of tourism as ecological and rural are affected, which are particularly sensitive to changes in environmental conditions and deterioration of the ecological and socio-economic situation. To ensure sustainable development, tourism activity should be regulated considering the availability and possibility of using the resources that are necessary for its provision. The paper examines environmental and economic constraints that arise in tourism. The necessity of introducing sustainable tourism for the balanced ecological and economic development of the regions is substantiated. The key challenges that have arisen on the way to the development of the tourism industry are identified. The priority of considering environmental constraints over socio-economic constraints is emphasized. The role of various stakeholders in the regulation of sustainable tourism is analyzed, emphasizing the key role of local communities, which are very interested in regional tourism development. The availability of relevant normative documents, which contain a list of environmental and social requirements, will allow to ensure the development of tourism with the minimization of negative impact on the environment. The research was mainly conducted on the example of the Carpathian region of Ukraine, which in the last few years has been marked by the active development of tourism, at the same time being one of the most vulnerable regions in ecological and social terms.