THE ROLE OF THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN ENSURING THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM DESTINATIONS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32999/ksu2307-8030/2026-59-8Keywords:
tourism, circular economy, sustainable development, tourism destination, hotel and restaurant business, zero-waste, resource efficiency, post-war recovery, sustainable tourism de, green economy, food securityAbstract
The article examines the role of the circular economy in ensuring the sustainable development of tourism destinations. The relevance of the study stems from the growing resource burden of the global tourism industry, the need to shift from the linear “extract-produce-consume-dispose” model toward circular principles of regenerative resource use, and the need to adapt Ukrainian tourism destinations to post-war recovery and European integration. The essence of the circular economy of a tourism destination is disclosed, and its key principles (reduce, reuse, recycle, regenerate, share) and implementation levels – micro, meso, and macro – are characterized. Based on the systematization of statistical data from UN Tourism and the Circle Economy Foundation for 2021–2025, a regression analysis of the dynamics of international tourist arrivals and the global circularity rate of the economy was conducted. The findings reveal divergent trends: a rapid recovery of tourist flows against a background of a steady decline in the share of secondary materials in the global economy – indicating insufficient integration of circular principles into tourism industry practice. International experience of circular transformations in the hotel, restaurant, and resort sector is systematized. A SWOT analysis of the prerequisites for the development of the circular economy of Ukrainian tourism destinations is conducted, confirming sufficient potential for transformation provided that regulatory, financial, and human-resource barriers are overcome. Practical recommendations are proposed for implementing circular principles at the level of state policy, regional clusters, hospitality enterprises, and higher education institutions. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of using the obtained results by public tourism administration bodies, tour operators, hotel and restaurant enterprises, and regional administrations to shape strategies for the sustainable development of destinations under conditions of post-war recovery.
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