THEORETICAL PRINCIPLES OF BLUE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The article examines the theoretical and methodological foundations of blue tourism as one of the key areas of sustainable use of coastal and marine resources. The work presents a conceptual justification of blue tourism, reveals its relationship with sustainable development goals and the blue economy. The evolution of the conceptual apparatus is analyzed, and the author's definition of blue tourism is formulated from the standpoint of an interdisciplinary approach. Special attention is paid to the analysis of key stakeholders in the field of blue tourism, their role in ensuring a balance between the economic, social and ecological interests of coastal regions. The purpose of the study is to substantiate the theoretical foundations of the formation and development of blue tourism, considering modern global challenges, environmental constraints and the need for sustainable management of coastal territories. The relevance of the topic is due to the growing interest in the preservation of marine ecosystems in the context of tourism, the implementation of international initiatives for sustainable development, in particular, «Blue Economy» and «Blue Growth», as well as the search for effective models of stakeholder interaction in coastal regions. The study used a set of methods, including system analysis, structural-functional approach, methods of comparative analysis of international experience and content analysis of strategic documents. As a result, the key characteristics of blue tourism were identified, the main groups of stakeholders were identified, their functions and interaction within multi-level governance were characterized, examples of successful implementation of initiatives in the Mediterranean, Caribbean and African countries were analyzed. A basic model of stakeholder interaction in the field of blue tourism is proposed, considering the national context, blue tourism parameters and systematization of its characteristics. The practical value of the study lies in the possibility of using the results obtained to develop strategies for the development of sustainable tourism, educational programs in the field of tourism, and the formation of policies at the local and national levels.