SOCIO-ECONOMIC POTENTIAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL GREEN TOURISM IN THE TRANSCARPATHIAN REGION

Abstract

The article examines the activities of households that provide services in the field of rural green tourism in Transcarpathian region. The main prerequisites which helped rural residents to start their own business in the sphere of rural green tourism are analyzed; the main indicators of rural tourism homesteads activity according to COVID-19 and in the pre-crisis period are reviewed; the main factors influencing the realization of social and economic potential of households in rural green tourism and its effective use in crisis situations are revealed. The purpose of the article is to conduct socio-economic analysis and assessment of impact of the main generating and destructive factors affecting the functioning of rural tourist estates in Transcarpathian region, which form the basis for the development of anti-crisis measures to improve their socio-economic potential, which can be used by the owners of rural green estates. Methodology. The study was conducted on the basis of the results of sociological monitoring of owners of rural estates in the Transcarpathian region, conducted by the Transcarpathian Regional Center for Socio-Economic and Humanitarian Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in 2021. The monitoring covered 95 respondents, of whom 51.6% were women and 48.4% were men. 74% of the respondents were economically active people between the ages of 35 and 56. The monitoring was conducted on the basis of the method of personal structured interviews according to a stochastic sample, which is representative for the population of the region at the age of 18 and older. The results of the study confirm that the functioning of the majority of rural tourist estates in the Transcarpathian region, in addition to objectively negative consequences of the crisis COVID-19 is affected by many destructive factors at the micro- and macro level, the elimination of which ensures their functioning in case of recurrence of crisis situations. The results of the study showed that only 4% of entrepreneurs were able to increase the potential and profitability of their own business during the crisis period. Also 23.7% of entrepreneurs, despite the crisis, plan to diversify and expand their business in the future. According to the results of sociological research anti-crisis measures to improve the effectiveness of rural tourist estates were developed, such as increasing the level of education and qualifications of owners of rural tourist estates, business diversification and expanding the range of services, reorientation to a new category of consumers, the development of e-tourism, strengthening of integration and cooperation between different economic actors in the region.