RURAL DEVELOPMENT INVOLVING TERRITORIAL PARTNERSHIP

Abstract

Local self-government bodies in rural areas are seeking new ways of development, with many of them considering tourism as a primary direction for growth. The chosen research object is Lublin Voivodeship in Poland, which is neighboring Lviv Oblast in Ukraine. Both regions share similar natural conditions and a common cultural heritage. The research assumes that Polish border regions can serve as an important example for Ukrainian border regions on their path towards European Union integration. The research aimed to assess strategic documents at the voivodeship and gmina levels to determine their spatial dimensions and factors influencing the selection of priority development directions. The study presents an overview of rural development support policies and provides a detailed example of territorial partnership ("Fruit Trail" Local Action Group), which serves as the basis for evaluating effective development of rural hromadas. Clear selection criteria were formed to choose the research objects. The specific goal was to analyze the place of tourism in local gmina development strategies and assess how Polish experience could be implemented in Ukraine. The research examined strategic documents at the voivodeship level concerning tourism development. Simultaneously, in Lublin Voivodeship, the specializations of LAGs created by gmina associations to support local development were analyzed. The strategies of each gmina within the LAG and the strategy of the LAG itself were thoroughly examined. The analysis identified the goals and actions proposed in their local development strategies related to tourism. Based on the research results, a system of local-level planning using LAGs as an additional tool was proposed. This approach allows for systematic and more effective work. Suggestions were prepared for the establishment of LAGs in Ukraine following the Polish model. The analysis showed that LAGs play a crucial role in developing strategic programs and plans, and their local strategies serve as an additional tool for implementing activities supporting the chosen development direction in a gmina/hromada.