Religious tourism in Ukraine: status and problems of development

Abstract

An integral component of the development of the modern tourism industry is religious tourism, which is designed to educate the population to respect the traditions and spiritual life of various peoples. Increased public attention to this type of tourism can be explained by the long-term dominance in society of atheistic ideas and ideological prescriptions in the assessment of religious phenomena, anti-religious propaganda and violation of the constitutional principle of freedom of conscience. The religious culture of Ukrainians was formed over many centuries. The increased interest in religion and the church reflects our nation's deep need for self-determination, therefore, for the young Ukrainian state, the problems of preserving and using historical traditions are among the most relevant, which justifies the place of religious tourism at the level of a socially important component of the ideology of state formation and national revival, making it an important segment in the system of specialized tourism along with such types as medical and recreational, business, ethnographic, etc. Ukraine is a multi-ethnic and multi-confessional country, whose consistent and purposeful state and church policy complies with international law, protects freedom of conscience, religious freedom and the rights of all citizens. This creates favorable conditions and opportunities for the development of both domestic and international religious tourism and pilgrimage.