THE FORMATION OF THE TOURIST IMAGE OF THE REGIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF THEMATIC TOURISM

Abstract

The article examines the role of the tourist image of the regions, in particular, on the example of the popular attractions in foreign countries. The problem of image formation and development of tourism is included in the focus of interest of many foreign and domestic scholars. Research on the theory of the formation of the international image of the work is devoted D. Aaker, S. Anholt, C. Balding, L.Brauna, Kotler, A. Romanov, I.Rozhkova,                     G. Zayachkovskoyi and others. Their work is a theoretical justification of the need to create and maintain the image of the states to promote the attractiveness of the country's prestige and so on. However, no single theoretical approach to the interpretation of the tourism image of the country.

The image of the country as defined by the UNWTO – a set of emotional and rational concepts arising from a comparison of all the features of the country experience and firsthand that influence the creation of a specific image. As noted by John F. Jones, the image is a set of associations and received information associated with a particular place.

These definitions focus is on emotional characteristics, but does not take into account the principles and laws of its

formation. The most comprehensive treatment of the international image of the country suggested A. Starostin, "an

image that appears in the subjects of brand perception at the level of the country's consumer perception, the perception of the level of businesses, the level of perception by the public authorities and perception at the level of supranational institutions as a result of awareness its core competencies, formed under the influence of market environment factors, and shapes their attitude to the country as negative, neutral or positive ".

Tourism image of the country – a set of symbolically expressed emotional and rational ideas about identity and

specificity of the country, formed in the minds of actual and potential tourists. This association, which arises in the mind when considering a product tour of the country concerned as direction of travel, leisure and recreation.

Coach image is based primarily on a territorial identity, which, on the one hand, involves formal characteristics

of the territory – a set of visual, verbal and other signs by which people identify territory. On the other hand, territorial identity also includes a set of characteristic features and resources of the territory, namely: 1) natural, demographic, historical, social and cultural characteristics and resources; 2) the economic characteristics and resources; 3) legal and organizational features information and resources.

Among the traditional forms of tourism (cultural and educational, event, festival, business) occupies a special place

tourism theme. Popular attractions are the thematic tourism holidays, carnivals, festivals, theatrical spectacle and more.

If we look at the geography of festival tourism, it should be noted that the largest and most powerful tourist flows

supplying European and American macro-regions, these same regions and tend biggest event tourism flows. Inaddition, most offer tours to a variety of sporting, cultural and national events in the most powerful information database of the world – the Internet – is also represented mainly European countries. According to the most popular topics are considered travel to international sports events and festivals.

Therefore, a regional tourist image in the international tourism scene takes place on a regular basis, however conducting various events of international scope gives countries a great chance to express their own world of travel

opportunities. Civilized, well established tourist sphere of the country is one of the fundamental factors optimizing

international image.