STANDARDIZATION, CERTIFICATION AND LICENSING AS TOOLS OF STATE REGULATION OF THE QUALITY OF TOURISM AND HOTEL-RESTAURANT SERVICES IN UKRAINE

Abstract

In the modern context of national economic recovery, the issue of improving the quality of tourism and hotel-restaurant services is gaining particular importance for the development of the domestic tourism and hospitality industry. Today, this industry is viewed not only as a part of the service sector but also as a significant driver of economic growth, the formation of a positive international image of the country, an increase in its investment attractiveness, and an instrument of regional development. At the same time, global trends such as digitalization, the growing role of sustainable tourism, and stricter safety and environmental requirements necessitate the transformation of the state management system for the quality of tourism and hospitality services. The purpose of this research is to substantiate the theoretical and methodological foundations and practical approaches to the use of standardization, certification, and licensing as tools of state regulation of the quality of tourism and hotel-restaurant services in Ukraine. The study involves an analysis of the current regulatory framework of the quality system, identification of the problems of its functioning, generalization of foreign experience in quality management in tourism and hospitality, and determination of directions for improving the national system of regulation in accordance with European and international standards. Under conditions of dynamic market development of tourism and hotel-restaurant services, objectification of the processes of standardization, certification, and licensing becomes particularly important. Their effective functioning increases consumer trust, market transparency, and contributes to forming a positive image of the national tourism product in the international arena. It has been determined that the current system of normative regulation is gradually transforming towards harmonization with ISO international standards, which corresponds to the country's European integration course. A significant role in these processes is played by the National Tourism Organization of Ukraine, which serves as a platform for implementing modern approaches to quality assessment, voluntary certification, and categorization of tourism infrastructure facilities. At the same time, there is a recognized need to update methodological approaches to certification and to improve the state supervision system, particularly through digitalization of procedures and the creation of unified registers.