SHAPING STRATEGIC GUIDELINES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM REGIONS BASED ON SMART SPECIALIZATION

Abstract

The article substantiates the theoretical, methodological, and applied foundations for shaping the strategic guidelines of tourism regions under permanent security challenges, ongoing military impacts, and the strategic imperative of post-war recovery in Ukraine. The research proves the structural limitations of traditional resource-oriented and linear destination management models, emphasizing their inability to ensure long-term regional competitiveness and crisis resilience during severe exogenous shocks. To overcome these constraints, the study justifies the non-alternative necessity of implementing the European Smart Specialization (S3) concept as a core policy driver for territorial economic transformation and spatial restructuring. The authors propose an original conceptual model for destination strategizing that, unlike existing frameworks, systematically integrates the comprehensive evaluation of territorial capital, the Entrepreneurial Discovery Process (EDP), digital transformation (including Smart Destination tools, AI-driven analytics, and Big Data), principles of sustainable development (ESG criteria), safe tourism management, and ecosystem orchestration into a unified spatial planning contour. It is established that the strategic focus shifts from merely exploiting natural, historical, and cultural assets toward generating high-value-added innovative tourism products through the structured interaction of the Quadruple Helix model (incorporating government, business, academia, and local communities). The scientific novelty of the proposed approach lies in constructing a holistic architecture of spatial strategizing that bridges the gap between fragmented regional initiatives, safety management, and structural European policies. The practical significance is manifested in providing a clear roadmap for local authorities and regional planners to identify unique local domains and build adaptive ecosystems. The synergy of these structural components ensures the institutional integration of Ukrainian tourist destinations into the European Research Area and Cohesion Policy networks, opening sustainable pathways for accessing EU structural and investment funds for post-war regional revitalization and economic recovery.