Human Geography Journal

Branding European cities in the context of tourism development: current trends and challenges (using the example of London, Paris and Amsterdam)

2025-09-27T13:23:33+00:00

This study explores the interconnected concepts of branding and identity, emphasizing their substantial influence on the tourist image of cities. To examine the practical application of branding strategies, the research focuses on European cities, a region that has solidified its position in the global tourism market, recording 747 million international arrivals in 2024. Accordingly, the objective of this study is to identify current trends in tourism branding within European cities through the application of GIS technologies, while also critically assessing the challenges and limitations faced by key urban destinations, specifically London, Paris, and Amsterdam.

The findings indicate that London (ranked 1^st ), Paris (3^rd), and Amsterdam (10^th) hold prominent positions in the Brand Finance Global City Index 2024, which evaluates cities based on their ability to attract investment, talent, and visitors. These rankings underscore the strategic role of branding in shaping global perceptions, fostering economic growth, and enhancing urban competitiveness on an international scale. By offering distinct branding approaches, these cities continue to reinforce their unique identities within the tourism sector.

This study examines the distinctive branding characteristics of three major European cities: London, Paris, and Amsterdam, each of which has cultivated a unique urban identity that contributes to its global reputation. London is recognized for its royal heritage, juxtaposing historical landmarks with modern architectural developments. The city is also a global fashion hub, hosting the prestigious London Fashion Week and offering renowned shopping districts. Paris, widely regarded as the capital of love, fashion, and culture, is intrinsically linked to romantic literary figures and celebrated poets. Like London, Paris is home to Fashion Week, along with a vast array of luxury boutiques that reinforce its status as an epicenter of elegance. Amsterdam, characterized by its bicycle-friendly infrastructure, iconic tulip fields, and picturesque canals, represents a notable example of urban rebranding, adapting its identity to modern tourism trends.

The study employs GIS-based analysis in QGIS, alongside statistical and informational resources, to explore the branding dimensions and tourism dynamics of these cities. A key challenge identified across all three locations is overtourism, which generates a range of socio-economic and infrastructural concerns. In London, overtourism exacerbates the housing crisis, prompting local authorities to develop new residential complexes within the Grey Belt. In Paris, the prevalence of pickpocketing, particularly around tourist landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, has raised security concerns, necessitating enhanced police patrols and surveillance infrastructure. Amsterdam, meanwhile, faces challenges linked to its tolerant drug policies, which have fueled drug tourism. While local regulations exist to manage recreational drug use, stricter policies may be required to mitigate the negative effects associated with this phenomenon.

This paper underscores the complexities of urban branding and tourism management, demonstrating how cities must continuously adapt to evolving visitor expectations, economic shifts, and policy challenges to maintain their global appeal.

The relevance of this study stems from the increasing significance of city branding as a strategic tool in the global competition for tourist flows and international visibility. As cities seek to enhance their appeal and differentiate themselves in the highly competitive tourism sector, understanding the branding characteristics and challenges faced by leading European urban destinations becomes essential. Our research provides valuable insights into the evolving dynamics of tourism branding, offering an in-depth analysis of the branding strategies employed by London, Paris, and Amsterdam, as well as the socio-economic issues that accompany their global prominence.

Foreign economic relations of Ukraine with the European Union: geographical dimension and current challenges

2025-09-27T13:23:36+00:00

The article analyzes the indicators of Ukraine's exports and imports with the countries of the European Union. The balance of Ukraine's foreign trade with the EU countries is calculated and analyzed.

The aim of the study is a geospatial analysis of Ukraine's foreign economic cooperation with the EU countries for the period from 2022 to 2024.

The study found that the EU is a strategically important trading partner of Ukraine, accounting for about 60% of domestic exports in 2024. This fact indicates a high level of Ukraine's economic integration into the promising European space, which has been shaping up over the past decade and has been strengthened by geopolitical events since 2014. Imports of goods from the EU have exceeded exports for most years, but in 2022, exports from Ukraine to the EU began to exceed imports. This break in the dynamics occurred against the backdrop of Russia's full-scale invasion, which became a catalyst for trade liberalization by the European Union: in 2022, duties and quotas for Ukrainian goods were temporarily abolished. The commodity structure of Ukraine's exports to the EU shows a predominance of agricultural products (grains, oilseeds), fats and oils, as well as metals and electrical equipment. Imports from the EU, in turn, consist mainly of mineral fuels, machinery, chemicals, and vehicles. This structure demonstrates the complementarity of the economies of Ukraine and the European Union. Regionally, Ukraine's largest European trading partners have traditionally been Germany and Poland, which account for the largest volumes of imports and exports. At the same time, there is a negative trend of a decrease in the trade surplus with the countries of Southern and Eastern Europe, which is a consequence of military aggression and logistics complications. Investments from EU countries in Ukraine in 2022-24 show steady growth despite the difficult conditions of war. The EU is one of the key sources of funding, combining public support with private investment. In 2024, the largest amounts of foreign direct investment came from such EU countries as the Netherlands ($1.19 billion), Cyprus ($1.13 billion), Luxembourg ($284.5 million), Austria ($276.8 million), France ($263.7 million), Poland ($191.6 million), Switzerland ($189.2 million), and others.

Consequently, Ukraine's foreign economic cooperation with the EU countries remains one of the key factors in the stability and development of the national economy.

The importance of Georgia's resort and recreational resources and geographical classification of resorts

2025-09-27T13:23:38+00:00

The article discusses the geographical features and classification of Georgia's resort and recreational resources. Recreation and recreational farming are related to the geographical environment, its natural characteristics and landscape diversity, and the geographical features of farming and social infrastructure.

The field of study of recreational geography includes those objects that consist of natural and social elements. Due to this, it has developed on the border of separate directions of both natural and social geography, medical geography and geography.

Geographical research of resorts, as well as recreational facilities, can be carried out using both geographical analysis and synthesis, as well as comparative, expeditionary, geoinformatics, sociological, and other methods.

For geographical research of resorts and resort economy, it is desirable to study such issues as:

The impact of the natural environment or landscape on human health;
Landscape structure and functions;
Research on the recreational (resort) and aesthetic value of the landscape;
Classification of resorts according to location, landscapes, purpose (treatment of diseases), mineral or thermal waters, climate (dryness index, sunlight, temperature amplitude, pressure, humidity, snow cover), natural resource potential (vegetation, reservoirs, fauna, natural monuments, relief, etc.), usage traditions (i.e. history), folk beliefs (attitude of the local population to medicine), uniqueness, historical-cultural (historical monuments, cultural objects, etc.) and transport (accessibility, Internet, etc.) infrastructure, and in general - natural and socio-economic factors;

A complex assessment of recreational potential involves the study of dozens of issues and objects, which is a rather difficult scientific and practical task. There are no generally accepted criteria for it, which makes it difficult to make a complex assessment of natural, historical-cultural, or socio-economic factors.

Georgia is distinguished throughout the world, and especially in the Caucasus, by its recreational resources. There are more than 100 resorts and resort areas in Georgia. About 2 thousand mineral springs have been identified and studied, most of which are distinguished by their high balneological purpose. Georgia has all types of resorts known worldwide. The main ones are sea, mountain, and climatic-balneological resorts.

The article discusses the geographical, historical-cultural, recreational and infrastructural features of 55 Georgian resorts. A total of 29 parameters were considered, 25 of which are not found in the scientific literature related to Georgian resortology.

Urban mutation in Algeria: the functional evolution of Ali Mendjeli

2025-09-27T13:23:41+00:00

The dominant function of a city plays a crucial role in shaping its identity, influencing how it is perceived and experienced, and ultimately guiding its growth. The new town of Ali Mendjeli, located in northeastern Algeria, was established as a strategic response to Constantine’s urban saturation, housing shortages, and increasing vulnerability to natural hazards, particularly landslides. Selected for its geographic proximity to Constantine and its availability of low-yield land, the site was planned to accommodate 300,000 residents across 1,500 hectares, in line with national decentralization and balanced development policies.

This study adopts a multidisciplinary methodology, including literature review, analysis of urban master plans, field observations, and interviews, to explore the city’s functional evolution. Initially conceived as a residential relocation zone, Ali Mendjeli has undergone a dynamic transformation. By 2020, its population reached 461,885 with over 73,000 housing units. It evolved into a major academic center, hosting two university poles and receiving more than 30,000 students daily surpassing Constantine in student influx. This educational shift has significantly reinforced its regional influence. In parallel, a growing commercial function has emerged, reflected in the development of seven operational malls and nine more in planning or construction. This shift is largely driven by the retail decline in Constantine’s center, prompting traders to relocate. Ritaj Mall, for instance, illustrates this trend with a strong attraction rate of 2.59 and a commercial environment dominated by non-food stores (72.2%).

Ali Mendjeli’s transformation from a residential extension to a vibrant academic and commercial hub highlights the importance of functional diversity in forging a city’s identity. These evolving roles not only enhance urban resilience but also strengthen the city's capacity to serve as a self-sustaining and integrated urban pole within Algeria’s national urban network, raising important questions about its next phase of transformation and future identity.

Childhood disability in Sumy region: territorial and demographic aspects

2025-09-27T13:23:44+00:00

The article presents data on childhood disability (under 18 years) for the period 2012-2019 in the Sumy region. An analysis of the dynamics of changes in childhood disability during this period in the Sumy region, the city of Sumy, and the districts of the region was conducted. The study used materials from the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Institute for Strategic Studies, the Regional Information and Analytical Center for Medical Statistics in Sumy, and the Main Department of Statistics in the Sumy region. The findings revealed an increase in the level of childhood disability in the Sumy region throughout the entire study period, with a particularly high growth rate observed in the last four years. It was noted that each year of the study, the childhood disability rate in the city of Sumy exceeded the regional average by 4-8%. Congenital developmental anomalies, mental and behavioral disorders, and central nervous system diseases were identified as the leading causes of childhood disability. The study also established that the disability rate among boys in the Sumy region exceeded that of girls by 29-30% annually throughout the study period. Children aged 7-14 years constituted the largest share of the total disabled child population in the region, accounting for 50–54%, with an annual increase observed during the study.

Cartographic modeling of transport accessibility of territorial community centers in the Sumy region

2025-09-27T13:23:45+00:00

The article presents the results of a study on the transport accessibility of district centers in the Sumy region using mathematical modeling and geoinformation analysis methods. Based on graph theory, a model of the region's transport network was developed, where settlements were considered as nodes and road connections as weighted edges of the graph. Dijkstra’s algorithm was used to calculate the shortest paths and travel time accessibility. The obtained travel time values from district centers to peripheral settlements were interpolated to construct isochrone maps, allowing for an assessment of the spatial heterogeneity of transport provision in the region.

The analysis revealed significant geographical differences in transport accessibility levels across the districts. The best accessibility indicators are observed in areas close to the regional center, while peripheral communities, particularly in the Konotop and Shostka districts, are characterized by substantial travel time costs to reach district centers.

Special attention is given to territorial contrasts in transport accessibility, which are determined by the spatial structure of the road network and the administrative-territorial features of the region. The use of Python and Google Colab for calculations and visualization enabled efficient modeling and analysis of the region's transport system. The research findings may be useful for spatial planning, optimizing road infrastructure, and improving population mobility within administrative districts.

Classification of factors affecting the formation and development of social infrastructure

2025-09-27T13:23:47+00:00

The classification of the factors of formation and development of the social infrastructure of a region is carried out according to certain criteria: origin, nature, direction, duration, manageability, level of occurrence, significance, focus, consequences. By origin, two main groups of factors are distinguished – natural-geographical and societal, with their further division into hierarchical lower-level units, namely subgroups of factors: economic, social, demographic, political, legal, managerial, financial, innovative, urban planning, infrastructural, cultural, personal. Their specifics are considered, namely: essence, composition, features of influence, significance, etc.

Natural-geographical factors include geological structure, relief, soil cover, surface and groundwater, climate, flora and fauna, minerals and other natural resources. This group of factors significantly affects the formation of certain lifestyle standards, and it also determines the features of the location of social infrastructure facilities. Among economic factors, the following stand out: the socio-economic development of a region, the level and structure of employment, income differentiation, and the level of consumption of goods and services. A subgroup of social factors includes lifestyle characteristics, occupational distribution of the population, the amount and ways of spending free time, and so on. Population size, natural and mechanical movement, age and gender structure, the ratio of urban to rural residents, the proportion of the working-age population, etc. constitute a subgroup of demographic factors. The choice of priorities for the development of social infrastructure is significantly influenced by political factors. Legal factors play an important role in regulating the activities of social infrastructure facilities. When setting goals and developing regional development programs, managerial factors are crucial. A subgroup of innovative factors is associated with scientific and technological progress. Urban planning factors influence the location, type and scale of social infrastructure. Infrastructural factors refer to the state of the existing infrastructure in a region. A subgroup of cultural factors forms the system of spiritual and moral values of society, its customs and traditions. Personal factors are associated with the individual characteristics of each person. All factors have a specific impact on the territory and should be taken into account when planning the development of social infrastructure.

Export potential of grain crops under wartime conditions (the case of Ukraine)

2025-09-27T13:23:49+00:00

The agricultural sector plays a decisive role in the structure of Ukraine’s national exports, with grain crops traditionally serving as a major source of foreign exchange earnings and a key element of food security. Under the extraordinary conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing full-scale war, the issue of maintaining and enhancing the country’s grain export potential has acquired particular importance.

This study aims to systematize the theoretical foundations of the concept of “export potential,” to identify the main methodological principles for its assessment, and to analyze the current state, structure, and dynamics of Ukraine’s grain exports in 2020–2024, with special emphasis on the impact of wartime conditions.

The research is based on a structural and dynamic analysis of Ukraine’s grain export volumes and composition, the identification of key external and internal factors influencing its development, and the formulation of methodological provisions for the development of regional export potential.

The findings demonstrate that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected Ukrainian grain exports through disruptions in global supply chains, reduced demand in international markets, and sharp price fluctuations, which in 2020 led to a temporary decline in exports. Despite the loss of part of the sown areas, logistical difficulties, and reduced investment attractiveness during the war, the agricultural sector has retained its resilience, ensuring substantial foreign currency revenues and consolidating its role as the leading component of Ukraine’s exports. The export structure in 2024 showed a high concentration in corn and wheat, highlighting risks related to low diversification and dependence on global markets.

The study emphasizes that increasing the competitiveness of Ukrainian grain requires targeted efforts in the development of niche crops, expansion of processing and value-added production, improvement of state support, and attraction of investment.

The results contribute to the development of strategic measures for sustaining and strengthening Ukraine’s grain export potential under wartime conditions, ensuring food security, and fostering long-term economic resilience.