Relationship Marketing Within the Concept of Sustainable Development and Global Digitalization of the Tourism Industry

Abstract. Introduction. Relationship marketing in the tourism industry plays an important role, as it directs the activities of tourism enterprises to meet the needs of each client through the formation of close relationships, to achieve a higher level of competitiveness with a focus on sustainable development, taking into account dynamic changes in the market environment and global digitalization of society in particular. Purpose. The main task of this study is to substantiate the need to introduce relationship marketing in the activities of modern tourism business enterprises aimed at sustainable development under the conditions of global digitalization of the tourism industry. Results. The article reveals the essence and defines the role of relationship marketing in the activities of tourist enterprises under the conditions of dynamic changes in the market environment, in particular computerization, technology and virtualization of tourism. The necessity of step-by-step implementation of relationship marketing in the practical activities of tourism business enterprises seeking to establish long-term relationships with consumers, increasing their loyalty, focusing on sustainable development, is substantiated. Emphasis is placed on the need for tourism enterprises to use modern digital technologies, which will contribute to the increase of communication interaction with consumers and will become a powerful tool in the formation of effective relations, will indicate the innovative activity of tourism enterprises. The possibilities of digitalization of the tourism industry have been studied. It was determined that under the conditions of global digitalization, the digital transformation of the tourism business should be considered by tourism enterprises as one of the main conditions for their sustainable development. A step-by-step digitization of the business processes of tourist enterprises within the framework of the concept of sustainable development is proposed, among the basic directions of which should be the harmonization of relations with customers and the expansion of economic growth opportunities of the tourism business entities themselves. Conclusions. Under the current operating conditions of tourism business enterprises, the principles of global orientation towards sustainable development, with an emphasis on the formation of long-term and mutually beneficial relations with consumers of tourism products and the use of various digital technologies, should be the basis of every subject of tourism business oriented towards success, competitiveness, strengthening of market positions, etc. It is digitalization that should be considered as the basis of sustainable development of modern tourism business and one of the factors of increasing its efficiency.