THE ROLE OF E-COMMERCE IN THE ADAPTATION OF UKRAINIAN TOURISM ENTERPRISES TO THE CONDITIONS OF A WARTIME ECONOMY

Abstract

This article examines the dynamics, structural characteristics, and adaptive role of e-commerce in the Ukrainian tourism sector under conditions of full-scale war and prolonged economic instability during 2018–2024. Based on official statistical data, the study reveals a structural paradox: while the share of tourism enterprises formally using digital sales channels increased, the absolute volumes and relative share of tourism services sold via e-commerce declined significantly, especially after 2022. This divergence indicates that digitalization in the tourism sector has functioned primarily as a crisis-response mechanism rather than as a driver of sustainable growth or modernization. The research identifies key determinants of this trend, including the collapse of inbound tourism, restrictions on physical mobility, heightened security risks, and profound shifts in consumer behavior. Particular emphasis is placed on the erosion of trust in prepayment-based tourism services, which has reduced the effectiveness of online transactions in a sector characterized by high uncertainty and cancellation risks. The analysis demonstrates that e-commerce in tourism does not generate demand independently but merely services existing demand, making it highly sensitive to external shocks. Structural changes are also observed in the geography of digital demand. The increasing orientation of enterprises toward domestic clients and consumers located in EU countries is interpreted as a survival strategy shaped by forced migration and spatial reconfiguration of demand rather than by market expansion. At the same time, tourism enterprises oriented toward markets outside Europe experienced stagnation or decline, reflecting increased transaction costs, currency risks, and loss of competitiveness on global digital platforms. The study highlights significant asymmetries between the growing digital presence of tourism enterprises and their declining financial performance, particularly among sole proprietors, who proved most vulnerable to rising costs, declining demand, and institutional constraints. Large tourism operators demonstrated greater resilience through hybrid service models, yet even this segment faced declining online sales volumes. It is concluded that e-commerce currently plays a compensatory and stabilizing role, ensuring minimal operational continuity rather than facilitating structural growth. Policy recommendations are formulated to strengthen the transformative potential of e-commerce in the post-war period, including targeted support for small and medium-sized tourism enterprises, enhancement of institutional trust mechanisms, integration of e-commerce into national tourism recovery programs, and improvement of statistical monitoring of digital sales in the tourism sector.