SPATIAL ORGANIZATION OF MEDICAL TOURISM IN UKRAINE, CURRENT STATE AND TRENDS

Abstract

In the structure of global tourism, medical tourism plays a significant role by combining therapeutic, recreational, social, and economic functions. In Ukraine, it is considered one of the most promising areas of tourism development and, at the same time, an important tool for modernizing the medical infrastructure, particularly in regions with well-developed recreational potential. The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive justification of the spatial patterns and development trends of medical tourism in Ukraine in the context of its adaptation to the European tourism market. Descriptive, analytical, comparative-geographical, and systems approaches were applied in the course of this study, ensuring a comprehensive examination of the spatial organization of medical tourism. The research was based on academic publications, official statistical data, and analytical reports from the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The article examines the spatial features of the formation and development of medical tourism in Ukraine amid socio-economic transformations and post-war recovery. It defines the place of medical tourism within the national tourism market and its impact on regional economies and the healthcare system. The current state of the sector is analyzed using statistical data from the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Health, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The study identifies key trends in the territorial concentration of medical-tourism services in major cities and resort areas, particularly Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Truskavets, and Khmilnyk. It substantiates the main factors determining Ukraine’s competitiveness in the international medical tourism market, including the availability of qualified medical personnel, relatively low service costs, the use of natural therapeutic resources, and the development of the sanatorium-resort base. Directions for optimizing the spatial organization of medical tourism are outlined with regard to European trends, inclusion needs, and the digitalization of the sector. The practical significance of the obtained results lies in the fact that the approaches to analyzing the spatial organization of medical tourism developed in this study can be applied in strategic planning, the development of regional programs for restoring medical and recreational infrastructure, the formation of medical tourism service clusters, as well as in attracting investments into the sector during the postwar recovery period.