Historical reenactment festivals in Ukraine in context of world trends of event tourism

The purpose of the article is to analyze the current trends in the development of historical reenactment festivals as an integral part of event tourism; as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the industry. The author also investigates the impact of economic, social and technological innovations on tourist preferences in recent years. The purpose of the article is to determine the potential for the development of historical reenactment festivals in Ukraine and the world in the context of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to provide recommendations on the use of virtual technologies to increase audience interest and ensure the long-term development of this type of event tourism. Research objectives: to study the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the development of historical reenactment festivals; to identify changes in tourist preferences caused by economic, social and technological transformations; to assess the use of digital technologies in historical reconstruction festivals in different regions of the world. Research methodology: based on the analysis of modern publications and examples of successful practices from different countries; Using the comparative method, the author finds out how digital technologies are used in the organization of historical reenactment festivals, what challenges and advantages are associated with this process.Scientific Novelty: the author notes that the festival movement in the world, as well as in Ukraine, has been deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, changes in event formats have occurred due to their mass cancellation, which led to the decline of traditional practices, a decrease in the number of audiences, and a shift in attention to local events. Nevertheless, in many cases this crisis has served as an impetus for innovation. First of all, this concerns the introduction of virtual and augmented reality technologies, which contribute to the creation of new formats of cultural events. Online formats adopted within the framework of historical reenactment festivals have not only maintained ties with the target audience, but also significantly expanded the geographical reach of participants, providing wide access to them from different countries of the world. Conclusions: Organizers of historical reenactment festivals in Ukraine have begun to integrate digital technologies, which allows them to highlight the national cultural heritage, despite the challenges associated with the ongoing Russian invasion. At the same time, the author notes that the interest of young people in modern technologies, in particular the gamification of content, raises concerns about the potential erosion of “cultural authenticity” as a defining characteristic of historical reenactment festivals. This situation emphasizes the importance of actively involving professional experts in shaping the content of these events. Nevertheless, the general implementation of VR and AR technologies, the development of multilingual content and the use of online platforms can increase the authority of Ukrainian historical reenactment festivals