PROSPECTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CULTURAL TOURISM IN THE CHYHYRYN REGION

Abstract

The study examines the concept of "cultural tourism" and outlines the prospects for the development of this type of tourism in the Chyhyryn region. The Chyhyryn region has a unique potential for the development of cultural tourism, as it is the center of Cossack statehood and spirituality in Ukraine. During the analysis, it was determined that one of the main tourist attractions in the Chyhyryn region is the National Historical and Cultural Reserve "Chyhyryn", which consists of the residence of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, Castle Hill, Ilyinskaya Church (1653), Zamchyshche (the place where the Khmelnytsky palace once stood), the cultural monument "Three Wells" (a hydrological monument associated with many legends about Cossack friendship and the healing power of water), Kholodny Yar (Motronynsky Monastery, Maxim Zaliznyak's oak and Haydamatsky Pond). Promising objects for the development of cultural tourism are also museum and ethnographic locations, such as the Bohdan Khmelnytsky Museum in Chyhyryn, the ethnographic museum "Ukrainian House", Medvedivka and Stetsivka (villages where ancient wooden churches have been preserved and local history museums dedicated to the Kholodnoyarsk Republic operate). The experience of national tour operators in organizing tours to the Chyhyryn region, including for the purpose of cultural tourism, is analyzed. Most often, tourist trips are organized by tour operators MakSima Tour and Alf. In the future, the development of cultural tourism in the Chyhyryn region may be oriented towards the creation of not just static museums, but interactive living history centers, which involves the reconstruction of 17th-century life, where visitors can not only see a saber, but also take various master classes in Cossack martial arts or traditional treats. Attracting tourists to the Chyhyryn region will be facilitated by the transition from the model of “museum contemplation” to the model of “living experience”, the organization of various festivals, master classes, etc., since tourists are not interested in the usual contemplation of monuments, but in immersing themselves in the era through everyday life, cuisine and participation in traditional rituals. This will allow transforming the region from a “one-day” object into a full-fledged tourist hub. Thus, the Chyhyryn region has significant potential for the development of cultural tourism, provided that state support is combined with private investments in infrastructure and creative marketing, taking into account the latest trends in the tourism industry.