TRANSFORMATIONAL PARADIGM OF TOURISM DEVELOPMENT: THE UKRAINIAN DIMENSION

Abstract

The relevance of the study is driven by the need for a fundamental rethinking of the role of tourism amidst the existential challenges caused by full-scale war. While traditional models of industry development are designed for stable environments, Ukrainian realities demand new theoretical approaches that account for profound anthropological shifts and the necessity of overcoming traumatic experiences. The purpose of the article is to theoretically comprehend the transformational tourism paradigm and interpret it through the prism of the Ukrainian context as a specific environment where transformational processes acquire a systemic and forced, rather than optional (voluntary), nature. The research methods are based on systemic and dialectical approaches to the analysis of socio-cultural phenomena. Methods of theoretical generalization were employed to define the transformational paradigm; a comparative analysis method was used to contrast classical theories of the «disorienting dilemma» (after J. Mezirow) with the realities of martial law; and institutional analysis was applied to evaluate current state strategies for the development of the tourism industry. The obtained results characterize transformational tourism as an «umbrella» concept that, in the Ukrainian dimension, evolves into a survival practice and a tool for adaptation to «chronic dilemma» conditions. It is proven that the war has triggered an ontological splitting of personal identity, necessitating the conversion of tourist travel into a therapeutic pilgrimage. It was found that contemporary state projects (specifically «Routes through Places of Memory» and «Silence Mode») are implemented within a reactive model focused on short-term psychological compensation, ignoring the tourist's need for active meaning-making. The necessity of transitioning from an economy-centric to an existential-image dimension of military (memorial) tourism is substantiated. The practical value of the article lies in defining strategic tasks for industry recovery: implementing ethical models of memorialization, developing post-traumatic growth programs through tourist experiences, and substantiating the need to train a new type of specialist – guide-facilitators.