ECONOMIC TOOLS OF SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM

Abstract

There is investigated socio-ecological development of tourism through the prism of economic instruments designed to balance economic priorities, social needs and environmental constraints. Tourism, as a significant sector of the global economy, exerts growing pressure on natural resources, ecosystems and local communities, while generating important economic benefits. The article analyzes effectiveness of budgetary, fiscal, regulatory and community-based mechanisms in internalizing environmental costs, promoting sustainable infrastructure, fostering local community participation and enhancing social-ecological resilience. Emphasis is placed on such tools as grants, subsidies, environmental taxes, payments for ecosystem services, zoning, certification programs and ecological awareness and information, which jointly influence the behavior of operators of tourist market and tourists. The study identifies key challenges, including the complexity of assessing externalities, institutional limitations, value-based perceptions of local stakeholders, and necessity of negotiating trade-offs among diverse interest groups. It discusses the necessity to adapt economic instruments to rapidly changing socio-environmental contexts. It is demonstrated that an integrated application of these economic instruments creates preconditions for sustainable functioning of tourist destinations, mitigates negative ecological and social impacts and ensures long-term competitiveness of tourist activities. The research further highlights the potential of hybrid approaches combining fiscal incentives, regulatory tools, and community governance to achieve higher efficiency, social equity and ecological protection. The findings underscore importance of designing context-specific economic instruments to facilitate socio-ecological sustainability in tourism and provide strategic recommendations for policymakers, tourism operators and local authorities to guide the tourist sector toward resilient and responsible growth.