ASTRONOMIC TOURISM AS A PROMISING DIRECTION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IN UKRAINE

Abstract

Gastronomic tourism is characterized as a direction for the development of the hospitality industry. The place of gastronomy in tourism is becoming increasingly important. If earlier, when visiting a country, tourists did not pay much attention to local cuisine and its features, now when choosing a travel route, people are looking for local delicacies that are worth tasting in the place they plan to visit. The growing popularity of gastronomic tourism increases the competitiveness of places visited by tourists, as it is the local culture and national cuisine that becomes one of the determining factors when choosing a travel destination. A survey was conducted, which showed that culinary travelers are more interested in participating in various tourist activities, in addition to eating and drinking, than other tourists. On the basis of the conducted research the characteristic features of the tourist who travels with the gastronomic purpose are allocated. Today, the world hosts a large number of gastronomic festivals that attract tourists from around the world. The list of countries of the world which are popular for visiting by gastronomic criteria is allocated. Some countries are currently leaders in the development of gastronomic tourism, but Ukraine is unknown in the world from this perspective. Carrying out events to promote Ukraine as a country of gastronomic tourism, international cooperation in the promotion and acquaintance with Ukrainian cuisine, holding international food festivals in Ukraine will attract gastronomic tourists to the country. The study highlights incentives, namely: advertising of Ukrainian dishes using an interactive map of hospitality establishments where they are prepared; conducting international presentations and tastings; cooperation with hospitality industry institutions of other countries; organization and holding of gastronomic festivals of international level; creation of a site and accounts in social networks, which will illustrate the hospitality industry and Ukrainian dishes, as well as the process of their preparation using an interactive map to attract tourists, the use of targeting these social networks; creation of a legal framework for regulating the ecological purity of products used for cooking in catering establishments; signing agreements with international travel agencies for effective advertising of leading institutions of the hospitality industry, etc.