MILITARY TOURISM IN UKRAINE: UTILIZING MILITARY HERITAGE FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND STRENGTHENING TERRITORIAL RESILIENCE OF THE REGIONS

Abstract

The article provides a theoretical and methodological substantiation of the development of military tourism in Ukraine as a specialized area of tourism activity and a promising instrument for socio-economic recovery and strengthening the territorial resilience of regions affected by the Russian-Ukrainian war.

It is substantiated that the transformation of the tourism sector under the impact of the war is accompanied not only by the destruction of tourism infrastructure and a decline in traditional tourist flows but also by the formation of a new complex of tangible and intangible military heritage sites, which constitutes an important resource base for the development of military tourism.

The content and interrelationship of the concepts of «military tourism», «military-historical tourism», «memory tourism», and «dark tourism» are examined, and the specific characteristics of military tourism are identified as a form of tourism activity based on the use and interpretation of military and military-historical heritage sites, places of remembrance, areas of military hostilities, fortifications, museums, memorial complexes, as well as tangible and intangible evidence of contemporary warfare. The resource potential of military tourism in Ukraine is systematized, and promising areas for the development of tourism products are identified, including military-historical and memorial routes, museum and memorial complexes, thematic tourism clusters, as well as digital and virtual formats.

 A SWOT analysis of military tourism development is conducted, identifying the principal internal and external factors influencing its development, including security conditions, the state of tourism infrastructure, human-resource capacity, institutional coordination, preservation of authenticity, and compliance with ethical principles in the interpretation of military heritage.

A differentiated regional approach to the development of military tourism is proposed, taking into account the nature and intensity of war-related impacts, the resource potential, the state of infrastructure, and the security conditions of individual territories.

The socio-economic impact mechanism of military tourism is substantiated, whereby the preservation, interpretation, and tourism use of military heritage contribute to the generation of tourist demand, increased entrepreneurial activity, job creation, investment attraction, higher public revenues, the restoration of tourism and related infrastructure, and the economic revitalization of war-affected territories. The necessity of integrating military tourism development into public policy in the fields of tourism, culture, national memory preservation, regional development, and post-war recovery is demonstrated. The importance of ensuring security, historical accuracy, authenticity, and memorial responsibility in the tourism use of military heritage is emphasized, along with the need to prevent the commercialization of human tragedy.

 It is substantiated that, subject to appropriate public regulation and cross-sectoral cooperation, military tourism can serve not only as a means of preserving and promoting military heritage but also as an effective instrument of territorial recovery, social cohesion, national memory formation, and strengthening the territorial resilience of Ukraine’s regions.

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