Recreational and Tourist Activities in the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve: Dynamics, Current State and Development Problems

Abstract

Purpose. To analyze the peculiarities of the organization and problems of development of recreational and tourist activities and the dynamics of the number of visitors to the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, determine the centers of the greatest recreational load and their current state. Methods. Geospatial analysis, statistical-mathematical, cartographic, etc. Results. The current state and features of the organization of recreation and tourism in the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve in combination with environmental activities, which provides for maximum greening and rational use of recreational resources. The dynamics and current structure of the number of visitors to the biosphere reserve in terms of protected areas and environmental research departments are also analyzed. As a result, it was found that over the last ten years from 2011 to 2020, the number of visitors to the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve has increased significantly, and its maximum was recorded in 2017 – 37 443 people. The greatest recreational load is experienced by the reserve «Dolyna nartsysiv», which is visited annually mainly in the spring by about 40 % of tourists and vacationers of the reserve. The COVID-19 pandemic has a significant impact on recreational and tourist activities in the reserve, which in 2020 caused a sharp decrease in the number of visitors, with the exception of Tribushansky and Petros-Hoverlyansky nature protection research departments, which are characterized by a positive increase in visitors. Conclusions. The intensity of recreational and tourist activities in the reserve differs significantly, which causes an uneven recreational load on ecotourism routes, recreational facilities and protected areas. The greatest load on the recreational resources of the plain part of the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve is observed in May, then in Svydovetsky, Chornohirsky and others mountain protected areas active phase of recreational and tourist activities recorded in the summer - from June to August. Intensive monitoring of the recreational load and the current state of valuable landscape complexes of the reserve is needed at this period.