Abstract
<jats:p>The relevance of the topic stems from the growing contradictions between increasing tourist flows and the need to preserve natural and cultural heritage in the context of sustainable development. The purpose of the study is to substantiate theoretically and develop practical recommendations for integrating cultural tourism into the sustainable development system of protected areas. The research is based on a systemic approach, methods of analysis and synthesis of scientific literature, comparative analysis of domestic and international experience in managing protected areas, and modelling for developing a conceptual integration framework. The hypothesis posits that targeted integration of cultural tourism into protected area management strategies can generate synergistic effects for heritage conservation and the socio-economic development of local communities. The following methods were applied: systemic analysis, structural-functional approach, comparative analysis, generalisation and synthesis. The essence of cultural tourism in the context of nature conservation has been defined; the principles of sustainable tourism and their relationship with environmental protection have been systematised; key mechanisms for integrating cultural tourism into protected area management strategies have been identified; a conceptual integration model has been developed; and practical recommendations for Ukrainian conservation institutions have been formulated. The theoretical significance lies in deepening the conceptual foundations of the interaction between tourism and conservation within the sustainable development paradigm. The practical relevance is determined by the applicability of the proposed recommendations in developing management plans for national nature parks and regional landscape parks. The scientific novelty consists in the development of a comprehensive model for integrating cultural tourism into the sustainable development system of protected areas, which accounts for the specific characteristics of Ukraine's natural and cultural potential. Prospects for further research include piloting the proposed model at specific Ukrainian conservation sites and developing an effectiveness assessment methodology.</jats:p>