PROJECTS IN THE FIELD OF TOURISM AND HOTEL AND RESTAURANT BUSINESS DURING THE WAR PERIOD IN UKRAINE

Abstract

The article discusses the prospects for restoring the tourism and hotel and restaurant industry in wartime and the period of post-war reconstruction in Ukraine. The implementation of innovative projects should be based on the experience of countries where the recreational sector was completely destroyed or partially damaged during the war. These countries include the former republics of the former Yugoslavia, as well as Cyprus, Israel, and Georgia. The experience of supporting the tourism industry at the state level in France, Italy, or Poland would be interesting for domestic Ukrainian tourism.

Tourism as a result of the Russian-Ukrainian war has caused significant losses both in Ukraine and abroad. The authors of the study propose to consider both already known but not implemented business projects in tourism and those that have been born during the last two years during the war. Ukrainian domestic tourism is currently suffering from significant financial losses, while a significant number of visitors to tourist attractions are either at the front or in the occupied territories. Thus, they are in no way participants in the tourism process. Foreign tourism from Ukraine operates exclusively from the Western region towards the European Union and is aimed at women and children traveling to Egypt, Turkey, or Croatia for beach vacations. The outright ban on travel for persons liable for military service who are not in the war zone in 2023 forced travel companies in the western region of Ukraine to actively seek opportunities to interest citizens in new tourist routes and implement them in areas where the threat to human life is minimal.

The majority of innovative projects that help to dynamize the tourism and hospitality sectors and generate financial revenues that prevent the industry from completely collapsing are being implemented in Lviv, Prykarpattia, Zakarpattia, and Volyn. To a large extent, the tourism sector survives in these areas due to the actions of local regional and district administrations, which are actively involved not only in the development but also in the implementation of ideas.

The study identified the following promising areas for the restoration of post-war tourism in Ukraine, namely: business, educational, medical, green and military tourism; development and implementation of programs (national and international) to support tourism units; ensuring close cooperation between countries to mutually support tourism activities; promoting the interest of foreign tourists in memorial routes and landmarks where military operations took place. In search of new methods and ways to sell tourism services, the author proves that in the context of restoring the tourism industry and hotel and restaurant business in Ukraine, attention should be paid to the effective experience of foreign countries in restoring the recreational sector, which has already suffered and is suffering significant losses during the COVID-19 crisis, and especially due to Russian military aggression.