SCIENTIFIC, THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF ECOTOURISM OF THE NATIONAL NATURE PARK "PODILSK TOVTRY"
Authors: Lubynskyi Olexandr , Kasiianyk Ihor , Kasiianyk Lubov , Yakubash Ruslan , Yatsemirska Nataliia 
Published: December 2023

The publication highlights the scientific, theoretical and practical aspects of the development of ecotourism within the National Nature Park "Podilsky Tovtry". The territory of the National Park "Podilskyi Tovtry" is a reference territory for regional studies of the development of ecotourism, thanks to the peculiarities of the nature management system, the available resource potential and the strong demand of the domestic tourist market for innovative tourist products and formats of recreational activities.

Ecotourism originated and is developing in the world's specially protected natural territories, which have the appropriate resource potential. Ecotourism is an integrating direction of recreational activities aimed at harmonizing relations between tourists, tour operators, the natural environment and local communities, which is realized through the greening of all types of tourist activities, nature protection, environmental education and upbringing. Tourists are primarily attracted to ecologically clean regions, where they can fully relax and get emotional satisfaction from communicating with nature.

The feasibility of the development of ecological tourism in Ukraine is determined not only by economic factors - the creation of new jobs, the development of local communities in remote regions, but also by social needs - the desire of the population for a more holistic and systematic approach, to the problems of health care and the use of free time. According to the experts of the World Tourism Organization, ecological tourism has become the most popular in the last ten years and is one of the tools of sustainable development of any state.

Ecological tourism is implemented primarily in the territories of national natural parks, nature reserves, sanctuaries, and natural monuments. There is an administrative, scientific, and executive staff capable of competently organizing recreational activities, providing environmental education for tourists, calculating the maximum permissible loads in this area, organizing monitoring of the state of recreational areas, etc. Opportunities for the development of ecological tourism in specially protected areas in different regions of the world have significant differences. In today's realities of the development of the world economy, each country strives to maintain the ratio of its technical and economic development with a share of the territory that is specially protected. Protection of 10-15% of its territory is considered optimal for the well-being of the country.

The main legal, socio-economic, resource and infrastructural development conditions and their regional features are revealed. In particular, the legal conditions for the development of ecotourism as a component of recreation on the territory of the National Park determine the principle possibility and formats of its development, as well as its priority compared to other types of nature use. The analysis of the existing specialized ecotourism offer demonstrates the development of green tourism in the Transnistria region and individual manifestations of active and educational and cognitive formats.

It is proven that the basis of the development of ecotourism is the cooperation of subjects, in particular the National Park with specialized travel agents and tour operators directed to the studied region. The most effective format of cooperation is cluster, based on the experience of cooperation and the reputation of the participants. It is limited by significant inertia in the initial stages, which is compensated by a stable increase in demand due to the synergistic advertising effect and autonomous distribution of functions.

The state of practical implementation of the main areas of ecotourism activity is characterized. Priority local ecotourism destinations within the studied territory are highlighted, their specificity and resource base are indicated, as well as modern directions of ecotourism use. Reasonable factors that contribute to or limit the development of ecotourism within the studied territory.

Keywords: ecotourism, nature conservation areas, national natural park "Podilskyi Tovtry".