SWOT-STRATEGIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF FOREST ECOTOURISM IN UKRAINE

Abstract

The article examines the economic environment of forest ecotourism development in Ukraine in the context of sustainable forest resource management and post-crisis regional economic transformation. Forest ecotourism is considered a promising direction for balancing environmental conservation objectives with socio-economic development needs, particularly in forest-rich regions. The study substantiates the applicability of SWOT analysis as an analytical tool for identifying key internal strengths and weaknesses as well as external opportunities and threats shaping the functioning of forest ecotourism. Special attention is paid to the economic, institutional, and managerial factors that determine the competitiveness, investment attractiveness, and resilience of forest ecotourism destinations. The results of the SWOT analysis reveal that the main strengths of the economic environment include significant natural and recreational potential of forest ecosystems, growing demand for environmentally oriented tourism products, and the capacity of local entrepreneurship and communities to participate in ecotourism development. At the same time, major constraints are associated with fragmented governance structures, insufficient investment in ecotourism infrastructure, limited access to financial resources, and weak integration of forest ecotourism into regional development strategies. External opportunities are linked to European integration processes, access to international funding instruments, digitalization of tourism management, and the increasing role of sustainable tourism in post-war recovery policies. Key threats include macroeconomic instability, climate change impacts, excessive recreational pressure on forest ecosystems, and institutional uncertainty. Based on the identified factors, the article proposes strategic guidelines focused on leveraging internal strengths to mitigate external threats. These guidelines emphasize community involvement, diversification of ecotourism products, implementation of environmental standards, and the use of digital tools for managing tourist flows. The findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of the economic environment of forest ecotourism and provide practical recommendations for developing sustainable and competitive forest ecotourism destinations in Ukraine.