TRANSFORMATION OF THE EUROPEAN TOURIST REGION AND THE POSITIONING OF UKRAINE WITHIN THE SYSTEM OF INTERNATIONAL TOURISM FLOWS (2019–2024)

Abstract

The article examines the changes, specific features, and development dynamics of tourism in the European tourism region under the conditions of global challenges and structural transformations during the period 2019–2020, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions on international mobility, and the transformation of tourist consumption patterns. The study analyzes scholarly works of domestic researchers devoted to the issues of international and European tourism, which makes it possible to systematize theoretical and methodological approaches to assessing tourist flows and regional transformations of the tourism market. Within the framework of the study, a comprehensive analysis of the impact of global challenges on the structure, volume, and spatial configuration of tourist flows in the European tourism region is conducted, including changes in the balance between domestic and international tourism, the growing importance of safe destinations, and the increasing popularity of short-term travel. A comparative analysis of the dynamics of international tourist arrivals at the global and European levels is carried out, allowing the identification of the specific features of the European tourism market as the largest and one of the most diversified in the world. Particular attention is paid to determining Ukraine’s position within the contemporary European tourism space, taking into account the influence of external crisis factors on the country’s tourism attractiveness and the transformation of tourist flows. The key factors that contributed to the gradual recovery of tourism activity in 2021 are identified, including the adaptation of tourism infrastructure, the digitalization of tourism services, the development of domestic tourism, and the introduction of new models of destination management. The necessity of strategic management of tourism development in the context of post-crisis transformation of the sector is substantiated, with an emphasis on the importance of Ukraine’s integration into pan-European tourism processes, the formation of a competitive tourism product, and the alignment of national tourism policy with European sustainable development priorities.