Types of Tourism by the Purpose of Journey: Current State and Development Trends in Ukraine

Abstract

The tourism market in Ukraine is facing a significant imbalance in the distribution of tourist flows in different regions, due to different climatic conditions, traditions and customs, the presence of historical, cultural and architectural monuments, different priorities in the regional strategic economic development. All this determines the differentiation of the developing tourist activities by the reason and purpose of a tourist’s journey. The topic being high on the agenda, the article examines the current state and trends in the development of tourism types in Ukraine by the purpose of a tourist’s journey. In particular, grounding on the statistics of the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, the author has assessed the dynamics of distributing tourists served by tour operators, travel agents who are legal entities, and travel agents who are individual entrepreneurs, by purpose of a tourist’s journey and by tourism types for the period 2011-2020. Taking research by domestic and foreign scientists on the tourism issue, the theoretical approaches are highlighted to classifying types of tourism and interpreting such types as business, educational, health, and sports tourism. Having analyzed the peculiarities of the tourism sector development in Ukraine in 2011–2020 as for the tourism types identified by the purpose of a tourist’s journey, the author has come to conclusion that most tourists prefer journeys organized for leisure and recreation. Regional distribution of tourists served by tour operators and travel agents who traveled for leisure and recreation during 2019-2020 is analyzed, and the regions of Ukraine that are characterized by the highest percentage of tourists traveling for leisure and recreation are identified. A study of the tourism development trends in view of tourism types by the purpose of a tourist’s journey will help to identify priority areas, strengths and weaknesses of the tourism market, problems, threats, and barriers to tourism development, as well as potential opportunities that will effectively position Ukraine in the tourism market.