ISSUES AND DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SANATORIUM AND RESORT INDUSTRY OF THE BLACK SEA COASTAL AREAS OF UKRAINE

The article analyzes the current state of sanatorium and resort treatment and rehabilitation facilities in the Black Sea regions of Ukraine, namely: Mykolaiv, Kherson and Odessa regions. The main natural therapeutic assets that these regions are rich in are considered, and a review of the specialization of sanatorium and resort facilities is also conducted. Taken together, natural therapeutic assets and sanatorium and resort facilities constitute the main rehabilitation potential of the regions, which is important to develop for the economic growth of the Black Sea region and the resort economy. Special attention is paid to socio-economic and legal factors in the context of wartime – the legal status of sanatorium and resort facilities, the rate of change in net profit over the past five years (2020–2024), and the dynamics of changes in the number of employees at these enterprises. Analysis of socio-economic trends that have developed during the wartime period indicates significant problems of an economic, social and legal nature. Solving these problems requires serious steps to preserve the unique sanatorium and resort base of the Black Sea region. The main problem is the significant decline of the sanatorium and resort industry during wartime, which threatens the further existence of most specialized enterprises. Resort facilities in front-line regions and those under active shelling suffered the most. Such regions include the entire south of Ukraine, especially the coastal part, where the main sanatorium and resort facilities are also concentrated. The lack of state strategies and action plans to preserve an important sector of the economy and healthcare will negatively affect not only the physical and legal loss of enterprises, but also the loss of unique specialists in sanatorium and resort treatment and rehabilitation. The purpose of the study is a comprehensive assessment of the current state of the sanatorium and resort sector of the Black Sea regions, and the identification of key trends and problems that should be taken into account during post-war reconstruction.