IMAGE MANAGEMENT OF UKRAINE'S GASTRONOMIC TOURIST PRODUCT: ECONOMIC ANALYSIS AND MARKET POTENTIAL

The article presents a comprehensive study of the theoretical, methodological and practical principles of image management of the gastronomic tourism product of Ukraine in the coordinate system of the modern economy. The relevance of the study is due to the objective need to transform the national gastronomic potential into a real market asset, capable of becoming a driver of post-war economic recovery and a tool of soft power in the international arena. The object of the study is the process of forming and managing the image capital of gastronomic destinations. The gastronomic product in the modern structure of tourism has ceased to be an accompanying service, turning into an independent category with a high share of added value. The author conducted an analysis that showed that the share of tourists' expenses for food in the structure of the tourist product of Ukraine is from 35% to 45%, however, due to the lack of systematic image management, this resource remains undercapitalized. The work uses the SWOT analysis method, which allowed us to identify key market imbalances: between the high authenticity of local products and the low level of their marketing recognition abroad. The novelty of the results obtained lies in the substantiation of the conceptual model of gastronomic brand management, which, unlike existing approaches, is based on a three-level hierarchy of economic interaction. At the macro level, the role of the state in creating the brand "Ukraine: tasty and authentic" is determined; at the meso level, mechanisms for forming regional gastronomic clusters according to the "farm to table" model are proposed; at the micro level, emotional marketing tools for HoReCa entities are detailed. The economic analysis proves that the implementation of the proposed model will increase the profitability of the gastronomic sector by up to 25% by forming a price premium for branded products and services. Particular attention is paid to the multiplier effect: the development of gastronomic image management stimulates related industries – from agriculture and the food industry to logistics and digital platforms.