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UDC 796.5 https://doi.org/10.17721/2308-135X.2026.83.3-10

Kostenko Alona Kryvyi Rih State Pedagogical University, Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-9513-5519

Ostapchuk Iryna,

PhD in Geographical Sciences, Associate Professor Kryvyi Rih State Pedagogical University, Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-5879-518X

Kazakov Volodymyr,

PhD in Geographical Sciences, Associate Professor Kryvyi Rih State Pedagogical University, Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , ORCID ID: 0000-0002-0340-2107

Antonova Elina Kryvyi Rih State Pedagogical University, Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, ORCID ID: 0009-0004-0466-4338

ACTIVE AND SPORTS TOURISM: THEORETICAL CONVERGENCE AND QUALITY FACTORS OF TOURISM AND RECREATIONAL SERVICES

Purpose. The article aims to clarify the essence of the concepts of "active tourism" and "sports tourism," to substantiate their theoretical proximity and the feasibility of using the integrative category "active tourism," as well as to identify the main quality factors of tourism and recreational services in this segment.

Methodology. The methodological framework is based on the analysis and generalization of scientific sources, a comparative approach to the interpretation of concepts in different academic schools, and conceptual modeling of the interaction between the sports and recreational components of tourism.

Results. The study reveals significant differences in the understanding of sports tourism in Ukraine, where it is predominantly viewed as a non-Olympic sport, and in the Western tradition, which interprets it as a form of travel related to sport or active recreation. The presence of common features of these approaches is substantiated, manifested in tourists' physical activity, recreational and health-oriented focus, and the growing role of the service component. It is argued that current trends in the tourism industry lead to the convergence of sports and active tourism into a unified integrated model.

Scientific novelty. The article determines that active tourism should be regarded as an integrative category combining sports technicality and recreational potential within the modern tourism industry, ensuring improved service quality and the adaptation of the national market to European standards.

Practical significance. A conceptual approach to convergence is proposed, which includes the professionalization of tourist support, route adaptability, economic synergy, and the implementation of international quality standards. A system of objective, subjective, and external quality factors of tourism and recreational services is identified, which can be applied in the practical organization of recreational activities.

Keywords: active tourism, sports tourism, recreation, tourism and recreational activity, active travel.

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Отримано редакцією журналу / Received: 28.01.26

Прорецензовано / Revised: 20.02.26

Схвалено до друку / Accepted: 25.02.26