THE ANALYSIS OF THE PRESENT STATE OF UKRAINE-SLOVAKIA CROSS-BORDER TOURIST SPACE

The article considers the present state of cross-border cooperation in the field of tourism between Ukraine and Slovakia within common borders of Zakarpattia Oblast with the Košice and Prešov Regions. The aim of the study is to deploy scholarly armament of theoretical, methodological and conceptual approaches to the enhancement of cross-border tourism cooperation in the region under review, including the following: defining the role and place of cross-border cooperation; identifying the key factors which influence the tourism development of both countries; investigating the levels of cross-border cooperation and revealing the central performance trends of cross-border areas. The following natural, historical and cultural resources of the territory under review are considered: terrain, climatic conditions, ethnographic features and visitable tourist attractions. The advantages and obstacles (social and economic, cultural and tourism-related) to creating cross-border relations between the two states are provided. The analysis and evaluation methods for the implementation of cross-border tourism cooperation are improved to enable estimating its results at local, regional and national levels, as opposed to the existing methods. The issues and development prospects directly linked with introducing new touristic routes and brands as well as creating common information space are brought to light.