The general features of functioning and adaptation of hotel enterprises of Zakarpattia region in the conditions of pandemic are investigated in the article. Revealed the issues and relevance of the selected topic, which relate to the impact on global, regional and local economic processes of the fact of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Were analyzed the available publications of Ukrainian and foreign authors on related topics, concerning the vision of the impact of the pandemic on the functioning of the labor market of Ukraine, reaction and adaptation of education systems of different countries to the consequences of lockdown, assessments of the general problems of the hotel industry that have arisen in the process of spreading the global pandemic, the role of business innovation applied by hospitality companies during the COVID-19 crisis. The dynamics of the distribution of tourist flows in the Transcarpathian region during 2000-2019, ie in the precoronavirus stage, this allows us to identify the main trends that dominated in the field of hospitality. On the basis of a questionnaire developed and conducted by the authors, the partial results of certain aspects of scientific research are formed. The adaptation factors implemented by hotel enterprises are considered and ranked - from the most successful to the least used (compliance with antivirus measures and recommendations, change of mode of transport, new types of tourist routes, electronic means of booking and registration, organization of online tours, excursions, etc.), the scale of efficiency of factors of adaptation which is based on an estimation of average value of their usefulness is created. Demonstrated the percentage of effectiveness of measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus (compliance with social distancing, mask regimen, use of disinfectants and antiseptics, wet periodic cleaning, temperature measurement); the main causes of business complications are given; the forecasted periods of recovery of small hotel enterprises at the pre-crisis level are visualized. Relevant conclusions have been drawn from the findings and recommendations are being developed to mitigate the effects of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

The purpose of the article is to identify trends in the operation of hotels in the Transcarpathian region in the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods, based on the ratio of the indicators of the dynamics of tourist flows and the occupancy rate of enterprises. It is obvious that small hotel enterprises of Transcarpathian region make a significant part of the hospitality segment of the region – they are the ones who receive a large part of guests/visitors/tourists. The activities of most of them are diversified, small-scale and somewhat isolated, these factors have softened the impact of strict quarantine restrictions introduced at different times in 2020-2021. Therefore, the research methodology is based on a sample of questionnaires – interviews provided by 30 enterprises. The research was conducted in the period from January to April 2021, when the restrictions of the red quarantine zone were introduced in the Transcarpathian region of Ukraine during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, a literature review of scientific works of domestic and foreign authors was conducted, whose publications relate to some aspects of this research. Much of the research concerns the state and current functioning of the tourism or hospitality industry during the pandemic and the business innovations they employ during the crisis. The results of the survey reflect the highly indicative dynamics of tourist flows in the Transcarpathian region in the period 2000-2020, showing pronounced peaks in the number of visitors (2000, 2003, 2008) and their decline (2001, 2004, 2019), as well as periods of low tourist activity (2014-2016) due to the military and political situation in Ukraine. The study describes the occupancy trends of small and medium-sized hotels in the region for the period 2018-2020. These trends clearly show the consequences of the crisis phenomena that occurred in the economy and society due to the global pandemic. The practical implications of the study lie in possible further recommendations for management decisions that will allow to increase the competitiveness of the hospitality and tourism sector in the region, as well as to implement effective measures in possible crisis situations. Value/originality. Information about the reaction and details of the operation of hotel enterprises of the Transcarpathian region during the global pandemic crisis is useful for understanding the work of the tourism sector in general at different levels – from local to state.

У статті досліджено та надано огляд впливу постійної динамічності туристичних потоків на стан наповненості малих та середніх готельних підприємств Закарпатської області в допандемічний період (2018–2019 рр.) та в період кризи (2020 р.). Окреслено проблематику даного дослідження, яка полягає у характеристиці стану сектору туризму та індустрії гостинності на локальному рівні для формування подальших управлінських рішень та розроблення необхідних заходів реагування на кризові явища. На тлі подальшого поширення пандемії коронавірусної інфекції SARS-CoV-2 як на території України загалом, так і в Закарпатській області зокрема релевантність даних матеріалів лише зростає. Здійснено літературний огляд праць вітчизняних та іноземних науковців, тематика яких стосується різноманітних впливів COVID-19 на людину та суспільство (економіку України та світу, трансформації соціальних ризиків, формування місцевих бюджетів, функціонування різних форм бізнесу, зокрема ресторанного, і, врешті, роль пандемії як каталізатора інноваційного розвитку високих технологій). Виокремлено низку факторів-індикаторів, які стали основними причинами ускладнень роботи підприємств, та узагальнено тенденції, які проявлялися в туристичних потоках у Закарпатській області впродовж 2000–2019 рр. (у докоронавірусний період). Динаміка 2020–2021 рр. різко контрастує з попереднім етапом, це яскраво проілюстровано показником, який виражається відношенням загальної кількості туристів/гостей/відвідувачів готельного підприємства до його загальної кількості місць проживання. Розроблено графіки, які демонструють різке скорочення даного показника у 2020 р. порівняно з 2018 та 2019 рр., це явище повністю корелюється із запровадженням карантинних обмежень, метою яких було обмеження розповсюдження коронавірусної інфекції. На базі опитування, розробленого і проведеного авторами, сформовано та охарактеризовано часткові результати окремих аспектів наукового дослідження: розглянуто напрями зовнішнього (іноземного) туристичного потоку, проведено групування держав, із яких на територію Закарпатської області прибуває найбільша кількість гостей. Надано проміжні рекомендації, які дали б змогу поступово нарощувати конкурентоспроможність туристичного сектору регіону на міжнародній арені навіть за умов глобальної пандемії.

The article analyzes the dynamics of visitors to small and medium-sized hotel enterprises of the Transcarpathian region in the context of the crisis caused by the spread of the infectious disease COVID-19. The study is based on a sample of questionnaire-interviews provided by 30 enterprises. A literary review of the scientific works of domestic and foreign authors, who work in the direct or related subject of research, their works relate to such aspects as the impact of the pandemic on the functioning of the labor market of Ukraine; changes due to the pandemic in the solvency of the population of Ukraine; the problems of the hotel industry that arose during the spread of the global pandemic, as well as the reaction and adaptation of the education systems of various countries to the consequences of the lockdown and, even, the national security of Ukraine through the prism of new conditions caused by the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Much of the research concerns the state and current functioning of the tourism or hospitality industry during the pandemic and the business innovations they employ during the crisis. The dynamics of tourist flows sent to Transcarpathian region during 2000-2020 (in the pre-coronavirus and pandemic periods) are described. The analysis of tourist flows in the Transcarpathian region allows us to conclude that their dynamics are unstable, there are clearly pronounced peaks (2000, 2003, 2008) and declines (2001, 2004, 2011), as well as periods of prolonged low activity (2014–2017). The trends in the number of visitors and the occupancy of hotel establishments in the period 2018–2020 are visualized, which clearly demonstrate the consequences of the crisis phenomena that manifested themselves in the economy at the end of the above-mentioned period of time, and as a result, the most significant number of visitors was observed in 2018, when the relative stabilization of the economic and political situation took place and the intensity of the flow of domestic tourists to the region began to increase. Aspects of the biggest business complications of hotel activity were highlighted, which turned out to be: closure of borders, cancellation of transport connections and, as a result, a significant reduction in the number of tourists/visitors/clients.