GEOECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF STRATEGIC TOURISM MANAGEMENT IN UKRAINE UNDER POST-WAR RECOVERY AND SECURITY CHALLENGES

Abstract

The article examines the geoeconomic determinants of strategic tourism management in Ukraine under conditions of post-war recovery and security challenges. The prioritization of tourism infrastructure restoration should be based on a comprehensive assessment of historical and cultural value, economic potential, social significance, technical condition, and the security situation in the region. The implementation of the “Build Back Better” principle ensures not merely the restoration of pre-war conditions, but also the modernization of tourism facilities, improvement of energy efficiency, accessibility, and sustainability of tourism infrastructure in accordance with contemporary standards and technologies. At the same time, security threats, infrastructural constraints, negative information perceptions, and bureaucratic barriers create significant obstacles to the full realization of Ukraine’s tourism potential in the European market. This necessitates the introduction of integrated policy measures aimed at adapting the tourism sector to European standards of quality, safety, and sustainable development. The security dimension has become a key factor in the development of Ukraine’s tourism industry under wartime conditions. The establishment of a comprehensive tourist safety system, including security monitoring, early warning mechanisms, the availability of shelters, and access to medical assistance, has become a necessary prerequisite for the functioning of tourist destinations. The development of so-called “security maps,” which reflect the actual security situation in different regions, makes it possible to differentiate approaches to tourism development depending on the level of risk. Despite the increasing academic attention to the geoeconomics of tourism, the post-war recovery of Ukraine’s tourism industry from a geoeconomic perspective remains an under-researched area. The geo-economic transformation of Ukraine’s tourism sector under the impact of the full-scale invasion is characterized by a radical reconfiguration of the spatial distribution of tourist flows, with a reorientation toward the western and central regions, which has resulted in profound structural shifts in the economies of tourist destinations.