Health Tourism – A Prospective Direction of Recreation: The Conception for Development (Case Study: Poltava Region)

Abstract

At present, there is a fairly developed classification of tourism types and forms with numerous options for implementation. However, in almost all of them there is such a variety as health tourism, which indicates the sustainability of its development and popularity among consumers. Based on the integrated use of the entire available spectrum of recreational potential of the localities, this type of tourism is represented by the widest range of recreational activities, allowing to attract a fairly wide range of consumers. Ukraine has a powerful recreational potential, which is suitable for the development of health tourism, but its use is characterized by significant unevenness. Accordingly, the issue of a deeper study of the possibilities of health tourism for the local population without long-distance moving is relevant and requires deeper research and understanding. The article provides different approaches to the definition of health tourism and substantiates its allocation into an independent type of tourism, which is carried out on the basis of the motive of health improvement and psycho-emotional recovery of a person; current trends in its functioning are considered; features of its organization with the use of software services based on a combination of different types of recreational activities are discussed. The sectoral approach to planning the development of certain types of tourism, introduced in the Tourism Development Strategy of Ukraine, is designed to determine regional species priorities. Thus, based on the existing recreational potential, health tourism is an important direction for the Poltava region. The effectiveness of its further development is impossible without the development of a Conception. The article provides the grounds for the development of the Conception, the purpose of development and objectives of health tourism, financial support and expected results.

Keywords

• conception
• health tourism
• recreational activities
• development.