GEOGRAPHY OF PRODUCT INNOVATIONS IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY OF THE CARPATHIAN REGION OF UKRAINE

Abstract

The purpose of the study is the analysis of product innovations in the field of hospitality in the Carpathian region of Ukraine, the study of the geography of their distribution and functioning on specific examples. The article describes the classification of innovations in tourism according to various characteristics according to the scope of application, the degree (scale) of novelty, etc. The data of the specialized web resource “Trend Hunter” are processed to highlight the leading innovative solutions in the hotel industry. An analysis of the field of hospitality in the Carpathian region of Ukraine is done and examples of innovative solutions discovered in it are systematized. Accommodations in the style of “glamping”, individual cottages (cottages in the style of “huge” or retreat houses), new architectural solutions in construction approaches (A-frame cottages, barn houses, bungalows), accommodations with 

the use of creative designs in interior design interior and exterior are highlighted. Based on the study of the geography of the spread of product innovations in the Carpathian region of Ukraine, it was established that Ivano-Frankivsk region (38 innovations) and Lviv region (33 innovations) are the leaders in terms of number. It was found that the greatest number of innovations appeared during the last three years. A map of the Carpathian region of Ukraine with a representation of the geography of the researched means of accommodation that implements innovations is compiled. The obtained results of the cartographic research are summarized in the conclusions. Four conditional areas of product innovation are proposed: mountain and foothill areas of Ivano-Frankivsk region, foothills of Lviv region, central part of Lviv region, as well as northern and western parts of Zakarpattia region. Specific examples of innovations and their functioning in the modern market of the hospitality industry are characterized. It is researched that the trends in product innovation implementation in the hotel industry of the Carpathian region of Ukraine fully corresponds to the trends identified in the analytics of the specialized web resource “Trend Hunter”. It is found that the consumers of the innovative hotel product are individual travelers, therefore, the implementation of product innovations acquires a niche aspect in the modern field of hospitality.