GASTRONOMIC TOURISM AS A TOOL FOR THE ACTUALIZATION OF CULINARY HERITAGE AND A FACTOR IN ENHANCING INTERNATIONAL TOURIST ATTRACTIVENESS

Abstract

The article examines gastronomic tourism as one of the promising areas of contemporary tourism activity, combining the economic, cultural, communicative and image-building potential of territories. It is substantiated that culinary heritage is an important factor in shaping international tourist attractiveness, as it ensures the uniqueness of a destination, strengthens its brand, promotes local entrepreneurship and contributes to the preservation of intangible cultural heritage. Particular attention is paid to the role of gastronomic tourism in the structure of the modern tourism market and to its interrelation with cultural, event, ethnographic and rural tourism. The main scholarly approaches to defining gastronomic tourism are analysed, and its essence, functions and forms of implementation are outlined. It is determined that gastronomic tourism is not limited to the consumption of local dishes, but includes a wide range of activities, from tastings and gastronomic routes to festivals, culinary master classes, visits to local producers and the promotion of traditional cuisine as an element of territorial identity. Special attention is given to the culinary heritage of Transcarpathian region as an example of an area with significant potential for international tourist appeal. It is established that the polyethnic character of Transcarpathian region, the combination of Ukrainian, Hungarian, Slovak, Romanian and other gastronomic traditions, as well as its winemaking, cheese-making, meat-processing, baking and festival practices, create a strong basis for the development of gastronomic tourism. The study also outlines current problems in the development of gastronomic tourism in Ukraine and proposes promising directions for its improvement, including the creation of gastronomic clusters, the development of local brands, the digitalization of tourism products, stronger intersectoral cooperation and the adaptation of successful international practices to Ukrainian realities. The relevance of the topic is reinforced by the need for regional development, destination marketing and the balanced integration of cultural resources into competitive tourism products under current challenges.