Sheveliuk M. Cultural tourism of Lviv region: trends and development prospects

The first section of the study examines the state of scientific development of the problem, highlights the source base of the study, analyses the theoretical and methodological foundations of the study. Lack of study, non-systematization and lack of generalizations regarding the cultural tourism of Lviv region were found, especially considering the challenges of modern times, which led to clarification of the scientific-theoretical and methodological basis of the study, the state of use of the existing potential of cultural tourism in Lviv region, the level of its development, the disclosure of digitization trends in the tourism industry, as well as characteristics of cultural tourism in Lviv region in the conditions of the Covid-19 pandemic and the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. It is emphasized that the available scientific heritage does not solve the problem – resolving contradiction between the need to improve the cultural tourism in Lviv region and the lack of appropriate conceptual foundations, which led to the need to find out the specifics, trends and prospects of the cultural tourism in Lviv region in the conditions of digitization and other modern challenges, and, on this basis, developing foundations of its further functioning. The analysis of approaches to the study of tourism, cultural tourism, its main features, evaluation criteria and development factors gave reasons to ascertain conceptual diversity and at the same time fragmentation in the study of the stated issues in the subject field of cultural studies, as well as the lack of a clear idea of the main problems of the development of cultural tourism in Lviv region, specifics of its organization in the context of today’s challenges and opportunities. In the second chapter, the facilities of cultural tourism of Lviv region are classified as a component of the tourist product, its external and internal factors characterizing its potential and level of development are disclosed. Attention is drawn to the fact that the unique tourist resources in combination with the rich historical and cultural heritage presented over a long period of time and the modern culture of Lviv region create the basic prerequisites for the development of cultural tourism, and its success depends on many factors, which in a synergistic combination make it possible to reach the maximum possible socio-cultural effect. The problems of the development of cultural tourism in Lviv region are singled out, including: complex socio-political events in Ukraine, ineffective promotion of resort cities at the international level, and a difficult environmental situation due to the active operation of international transport corridors. The inconsistency of the institutional and legislative support for the development of tourism with world standards; insufficient amount of financial and tax incentives for the development of the tourism sector; unsatisfactory state of tourist infrastructure, including tourist facilities; low level of qualification of specialists in the field of tourism and development of local and national travel agencies.