THE FORMATION OF A NATION TOURISM BRAND OF UKRAINE

Abstract

Performing a large range of functions, tourism implies an embodiment of an important economic, social, and geopolitical factor affecting the competitive innovative development of all the countries. Despite the COVID-19 influence, the tourism sector remains one of drivers for the global and nation economies because it plays the generating and integrating role within the context of ensuring the positive dynamics of quantitative and qualitative parameters describing the development of economic systems. Furthermore, the tourism sector is an effective multiplier with regard to enhancing the main macroeconomic indicators. A brand is a powerful means for promoting tourism in the internal and global tourism markets. Forming and supporting a nation tourism brand constitute an important goal for effective development of the tourism sector, as well as a precondition for capturing its opportunities and strategic prospects. The article’s purpose is to substantiate conceptual basics and methodical frameworks regarding the formation and development of the nation tourism brand of Ukraine. Having generalized scientific and analytical researches, we have revealed that Ukraine ranks low on the level of tourism attractiveness and value of its nation tourism brand. In addition, we have observed the low level of competitiveness of its tourism sector in the global market. Therefore, there is a need to draw up a branding conception grounded in the holistic approach and implementation of its provisions into the tourism sector through a leverage portfolio, instruments of mechanisms, and recommendations concerning improvement of processes of formation, development, monitoring, and supporting the nation brand of Ukraine. The nation tourism brand of Ukraine is considered as the integral unique tourism image and a behaviour model for Ukraine as a country supplying a tourism product. A tourism product integrates outcomes of more than 50 industries of the economy and contains immanent attributes and determinants, which embody its identity and determine value for consumers alongside advantages for stakeholders. The formation of the nation tourism brand contemplates the structural and logical consequence of processes, which comprises six stages: brand-context, brand-monitoring, brand-start, brand-support, brand-effect, and brand-foresight. A semantic model for creating and supporting the nation tourism brand of Ukraine reflects the main groups of descriptors: stakeholders, principles, factors, functions, processes, results, and aims. The identification of these descriptors enables to indicate the content, intrinsic features, functions, and processes of the tourism branding of Ukraine. We have suggested a three-level model of the nation tourism brand’s advantages for stakeholders, which describes expenses and benefits for indicated groups of stakeholders within the context of the functioning of the formed tourism brand of the country. Forming the nation tourism brand will foster ensuring the competitiveness, image, leadership positions, business perfection, customer loyalty, positive perception of tourism products by stakeholders, tourism sector, and nation tourism system of Ukraine.