https://doi.org/10.35668/2520-6524-2026-3-12
Babko N. M. — PhD in Economics, Associate Professor, Bogdan Khmelnitsky Melitopol State Pedagogical University; 59, Naukovoho Mistechka Str., Zaporizhzhia, Zaporizhzhia Region, Ukraine, 69000; natalia.babko@ukr.net; ORCID: 0000-0002-7620-9500
Runcheva N. V. — D. Sc. in Economics, Professor, Bogdan Khmelnitsky Melitopol State Pedagogical University; 59, Naukovoho Mistechka Str., Zaporizhzhia, Zaporizhzhia Region, Ukraine, 69000; runnata@ukr.net; ORCID: 0000-0001-8645-9821
CONCEPTUALISING STRATEGIC GUIDELINES FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF REGIONAL TOURISM SYSTEMS
Abstract. The article develops a conceptual framework for strategic guidelines for the sustainable development of regional tourism systems, accounting for the spatial asymmetry of tourism in Ukraine. The methodology combines a systems approach, content analysis, comparison of official statistics, logical modelling and typological synthesis. The findings show that positive fiscal dynamics coexist with pronounced concentration: in the first quarter of 2026, five territories accounted for 74,6 % of officially recorded overnight stays subject to the tourist tax. The proposed core, “value – limits – adaptability”, links territorial benefits, thresholds of acceptable pressure and the capacity to respond to change. Six guidelines are substantiated: safety resilience; resource and environmental balance; local value and inclusion; smart specialization and product diversification; digital observability; and network governance with investment coherence. The adaptive cycle moves from diagnosing a functional tourism territory to selecting dominant guidelines, forming an integrated portfolio of instruments and annually correcting policy. Net territorial value, rather than maximum visitor numbers, is defined as the target result of regional tourism
strategy.
Keywords: sustainable development, regional tourism system, strategic guidelines, resilience, tourism carrying capacity, local value, smart specialization, governance.
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Received 08/26/2026
Accepted for publication 09/11/2026
Published 09/30/2026
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