Buchko Z. Trans-border recreational tourism complexes in Ukraine: research methodology and development priorities

This thesis develops the conceptual notion of a trans-border recreational tourism complex (TBRTC) and outlines theoretical and methodological basis for researching these objects. The proposed approach facilitates solving an important practical research question of investigating spatial (territorial) principles of formation and establishing the structure of TBRTCs and of TBRTCs’ influence on European integration and sustainable development of tourism in Ukraine. The work describes an approach to studying trans-border recreational tourism complexes from both constructive-geographical and, at the same time, cross-disciplinary points of view. The author defines her interpretation of the term TBRTC, explains the essence of a TBRTC as a form of a spatially-defined entity formed on adjoint near-border territories, systematizes methodology of researching TBRTC, establishes the research approaches, discusses the details of using different research approaches at different research stages, and formulates the system of key concepts and terms needed to unlock the concept of TBRTC.