POST-WAR RECOVERY OF TOURISM IN UKRAINE

Abstract

The article reveals the key perspectives of the post-war recovery of tourism in Ukraine. It has been established that 2022 has become another test for the field of tourism in Ukraine. Despite the losses suffered by the Ukrainian tourism sector due to the war, the amount of the tourist tax for the first half of 2022 amounted to UAH 8,904,200, which is almost 28.8% more than in the same period of 2021, when the budget received UAH 69,453,000 UAH. The largest increase in the first half of 2022 was recorded in seven regions, six of them in Western Ukraine. It was found that the main challenges of tourism in Ukraine are: lack of tourist flow to Ukraine; outflow of investments from the Ukrainian tourism sector; high risk of staying in many parts of the country; severe destruction of tourist infrastructure, historical buildings, museums, theaters, etc.; lack of information about the state of tourist facilities in different cities and regions of Ukraine; limited network of tourist information; outdated system of classification of hotels and other accommodation establishments; there is no automated system for collecting tourism statistics to assess the state of the sphere, the scope of the sphere's revenues and losses, the potential for national policy formation; absence of flights in the airspace of Ukraine, etc. It has been determined that the key opportunities for tourism in Ukraine are: using the international information arena, which is currently overflowing with news about Ukraine, to highlight the current situation and highlight the post-war tourism potential of the country; development of a communication strategy with a focus on the international market; creation of a new positive image of the country; creation of mechanisms and conditions for investment attraction; engaging stakeholders in the development of digital tools on the ground, especially for operational data collection; creation of the Tourism Industry Support Fund (especially in Ukraine), etc. To ensure the post-war restoration of tourism in Ukraine, it is advisable to: carry out the reconstruction of the tourist infrastructure; promote the development of domestic and inbound tourism; to provide institutional support for subjects of tourist activity and further development of the tourist business.