Perspective geotourist products in protected areas of the Transcarpathia region
Authors:   Ivan Franko National University of Lviv, Lviv, Ukraine, Dubis Lidia , Habchak Natalia ,   State Higher Educational Institution «Uzhhorod National University», Uzhhorod, Ukraine
Published: February 2020

Protected areas of the Transcarpathia region are represented in various regions of the Ukrainian Carpathians: NNP (National nature park) Synevir is located in Vododilno-Verhovynsky Gorgany; Uzhanian NNP includes fragments of Vododilno-Verhovynsky and Polonynsky ranges; NNP Zacharovanyi Krai and LP Syniak – central part of Vyhorlat-Hutynsky volcanic range; LP Prytysiansky represents the most valuable natural territories of Prytysenska alluvial lowland plain; Carpathian Biosphere Reserve is represented in six separate massifs (southern macroslope of Chornohirsky, the highest Svydovetski mountains’ part – Svydovetsky, Marmarosky massif on northern megaslope of Rahivski mountains, Kuzij-Trybushansky massif on southern branches of Svydovetsky range, Uholsko-Shyrokoluzansky massif on southern slopes of Krasna and Menchil mountain valleys, Valley of narcissuses) and two mountains (Chorna and Julivska) on Vyhorlat-Hutynsky volcanic range. These territories have a wide range of geotourist objects, many of which have become popular tourist attractions and are a part of ecoeducational paths and/or tourist routes. With such an abundance of potential geotourist attractions there are no complete geotourist products on the protected areas of the Transcarpathia. The purpose of this study is to offer several geotourist products suitable for implementation in the protected areas of the Transcarpathia and in their outskirts for the development of the geotourism. Based on the analysis of geotourist objects and taking into account the current state of the tourist infrastructure of these protected areas of the Transcarpathia, we propose four geotourist products that could give a stimulus to the development of geotourism in the Transcarpathia, namely: 1) Informational and educational geocenter of the Volcanic Carpathians (NNP Zacharovanyi Krai and LP Syniak) based on objects of volcanic origin; 2) Rocks and Caves of the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve (Kuzij-Trybushansky and Uholsko-Shyrokoluzansky protected massifs of CBR) based on rock and cave formations; 3) On the trail of the ancient glaciation (highlands of Chornohirsky, Svydovetsky and Marmarosky protected massifs of CBR) based on glacier forms and processes; 4) The secret and explicit life of the rivers of Zakarpattia (LP Prytysiansky) based on fluvial relief. The reason for the creation and promotion of these geotourist products is a large number of geotourist objects, possibility of management (the availability of administrations) and basic tourism infrastructure (tourist service facilities), that can be used for the needs of geotourism. Only the proposed geotourist product within LP Prytysiansky should become the beginning for creating here a tourist infrastructure. For each of the proposed geotourist products their unified characteristics are presented. They will give an opportunity to develop the strategy of phased preparation of these products and to calculate the approximate cost of projects. The results of this study can be used by the administration of protected areas, regional and local authorities, relevant profile departments (tourism, ecology and natural resources) of the Transcarpathia region and local communities.