FORMATION OF ECOTOURISM INVESTMENT POTENTIAL IN THE CONDITIONS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF UKRAINE

<jats:p>The article substantiates the theoretical and methodological principles of forming the investment potential of ecotourism in Ukraine in accordance with the principles of sustainable development. The purpose of the study is to clarify the economic content of this category, determine its structural components and develop an algorithm for transforming the natural and recreational opportunities of territories into prepared and implemented investment projects. The methodological basis is the analysis and synthesis of scientific approaches, comparison, systematization, structural-functional and process approaches, as well as logical modeling. It is proved that the investment potential of ecotourism cannot be identified with the totality of natural resources or the possible amount of financing. It is proposed to interpret it as the ability of the ecotourism system to form, attract, accumulate and effectively use investment resources while ensuring economic returns, participation of local communities, environmental safety and long-term sustainability of territories. The natural resource, infrastructure, financial, entrepreneurial, human, institutional, innovation-digital and ecologically resilient components of potential are identified. An eight-step algorithm for its formation is proposed, which includes resource assessment, institutional arrangement, preparation of an investment product, combining sources of financing, development of an entrepreneurial ecosystem and human capital, digital integration, monitoring and reinvestment. It was found that the lack of project competencies limits access to financing, the lack of infrastructure reduces the economic value of natural resources, and the lack of environmental control creates the risk of destroying the resource base of ecotourism. The scientific novelty lies in the combination of structural and process dimensions and the interpretation of potential formation as a cycle from a natural resource to a reproducible economic and ecological result. The practical significance of the results lies in the possibility of their use by communities, environmental protection institutions and project offices to structure investment initiatives and identify missing links in their implementation.</jats:p>