Natural resource factors in the competitiveness of the tourism and recreation sector of the Carpathian region of Ukraine

Abstract

The article identifies the natural resource dominants for assessing the competitive advantages of the tourism and recreation sector and ensuring the development of sanatorium, resort, and tourist and recreational activities. It analyzes and evaluates the natural resource capacity of sanatorium and resort activities in the Carpathian region in terms of balance reserves of underground mineral and thermal waters, therapeutic peloids, and ozokerite. The author reveals that the balance reserves of all underground mineral water deposits in Lvivska oblast amount to 7.658 thousand m3/day, and the balance reserves of the deposits under development amount to 6.440 thousand m3/day. The total amount of underground mineral water reserves with different chemical and therapeutic properties in Zakarpatska oblast is 4.215 thousand m3/day and in the subsoil of Chernivetska oblast – 0.748 thousand m3/day. Approved operational reserves of mineral water in Ivano-Frankivska oblast are 0.259 thousand m3/day. In general, the explored balance reserves of underground mineral waters in the Carpathian region amount to 12.880 thousand m3/day, thermal waters – 0.871 thousand m3/day, therapeutic peloids – 239.546 thousand m3, and ozokerite – 113.679 thousand tons. The author selects the priority natural resource dominants for the assessment of tourist and recreational activities: forests, mountainous areas, nature reserve fund objects, natural World Heritage sites, river basins, lakes, ponds, reservoirs, and hunting sites. The article shows that the Carpathian region is characterized by high average forest cover (41.3 %) and mountainous areas (41.8 %), a significant number of nature reserve sites (1,782 units with a total area of 706.2 thousand hectares), one natural world heritage site, high average density of the river basin (1.129 km/km2), a small area of lakes, ponds, and reservoirs (36.9 thousand hectares), and an average number of licenses issued for hunting for ungulates (49.8 thousand heads), fur-bearing animals (171.8 thousand heads), and game birds (827.4 thousand heads). The results of the analysis show that the region is attractive for many types of tourist and recreational activities and their development.