DEVELOPMENT OF THE GLOBAL TOURISM INDUSTRY: QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT AND GLOBAL TRENDS

The article presents an analysis of the qualitative development of the tourism industry, considering that tourism has become one of the most prominent manifestations of globalization processes, contributing to the formation and strengthening of global social, political, and economic networks, transforming the world into a «single social space.» The opinions of scholars are reviewed, proposing a differentiation of the concept of «tourism» depending on the subject of research, distinguishing between a narrow and broad understanding of the term. The authors define the tourism sector as an organizational system represented by a cluster, identifying key elements that form tourism clusters in providing services. The article also analyzes the experience of European researchers regarding the classification of components of the tourism industry and the interrelationship between the concepts of «tourism industry» and «hospitality industry,» citing the positions of specific authors. The study of various approaches by domestic and foreign scholars to the essence of the tourism industry has provided more profound insights into its structure and helped form the authors’ understanding of its components. Additionally, the article examines the most popular tourist destinations in the world and ranks the best locations for business trips. It is proven that over the past decade, the tourism industry has become one of the most critical sectors globally, as evidenced by the dynamic development of tourism services between 2019 and 2023. Over the years, tourism has demonstrated resilience and the ability to recover from economic crises and has contributed to broad economic and social revival.