VOLUNTEER TOURISM: THEORETICAL DISCOURSE

Abstract

Volunteer tourism in the current context is of significant importance for the development of Ukraine's tourism sector, especially in the upcoming post-war reconstruction. Therefore, this direction requires detailed study for further large-scale implementation in our country. The purpose of the study is to justify the theoretical and methodological foundations of volunteer tourism by thoroughly highlighting the approaches of domestic and foreign authors regarding the interpretation of this concept, revealing the main principles and directions of the formation of this type of tourism in Ukraine. In the author's interpretation, volunteer tourism is presented as one of the types of modern tourism that involves visiting a specific locality with the aim of providing assistance, including physical assistance, to local residents, and on the other hand, providing volunteer services to visitors of a particular community. In the course of the research, both general scientific and special methods were used: theoretical generalization, content analysis, synthesis; system, comprehensive and critical analysis; comparative analysis; method of logical and tabular data representation, case studies, etc. The result of the study was the consideration of the theoretical foundations of the formation of volunteer tourism, with an emphasis on maintaining a balance between tourism and volunteer activities. The article reveals the specifics of this tourist direction, highlighting its positive and negative sides. A vision of the place of this type of tourism in the structure of forms of tourist activity is proposed. Trends and features of the organization of this tourist direction in Ukraine are analyzed. Volunteer tourism is an important tool in the process of post-war reconstruction of Ukraine. It contributes to social recovery, cultural exchange, economic development, and environmental rehabilitation of its territory.