Branding of the tourist region

The article examines contemporary issues of branding as a marketing tool for improving the competitiveness of tourism in the region. Odessa region is one of the leading tourist and recreational regions of Ukraine. In the region, there are 1,070 tourist, spa and recreational facilities, including 296 hotels and similar accommodation facilities in the region has more than 300 tour operators and travel agencies that create and implement tourism product. The tourist infrastructure of the area can simultaneously accommodate more than 104.0 thousand tourists and vacationers throughout the year. As the analysis of statistical data, the highest number of tourists arriving in the administrative center of the Odessa region - Odessa. City has the necessary tourist infrastructure, which, unfortunately, is not in other cities of the region (such as Illichivs'k, Belgorod-Dniester, Vylkovo, Ishmael). More than one million tourists visited Odessa in 2013, 38% of them - tourists from Europe, 30% - from CIS countries - 11% tourists from the U.S. and 7% - Asians. In 2013, the number of visits of foreign cruise ships in the port of Odessa, compared with 2012 increased by 21% - up to 146 calls. Thus, if the flow of tourists in the region overall declined, the tourist flow to Odessa in recent years characterized by positive dynamics. At the same time modern tourists quite exacting to the image of the tourist product and brand territory of the host seaside resorts. In this regard, it is necessary to make complex marketing activities to promote tourist areas in order to maintain and further increase the amount of tourist flow. Representation of the dynamics of the tourist flow in the region, allows to update today's management challenges development of tourism and hospitality in the Odessa region. The authors conducted an analysis of regional factors influencing the development of brand tourist region and its competitiveness as a whole. The authors suggest approaches to branding and brand promotion of the tourist region. Formation of regional tourism brands, the author proposes to consider as one of the tools of investment in tourist and recreational potential of the area. Suggested measures include both the formation of the information field and the direction of modernization of infrastructure, introduction of new service quality standards of tourists and vacationers in coastal areas. Recommendations are given to promote regional tourism brand in the tourist market.