Proceedings of the International scientific and practical conference ―Science at the Frontier of Progress‖ (June 8-10, 2026) / Publisher website: www.naukainfo.com. – Paris, France, 2026. - 178 p.

91 PHILOSOPHYAND POLITICAL SCIENCE UDC 342.7 Akhmetova Anastasia student Research Advisor Cherusheva G. B. Phd, assoc.prof. ORCID : https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9652-0913 National Academy of Statistics, Accounting and Auditing м. Kyiv, Pidhirna 1, 04107 FROM DISASTER TO TOURISM BRAND: THE ETHICS OF CHERNOBYL TOURISM Abstract. The Chernobyl disaster, which occurred on April 26, 1986, remains one of the most catastrophic man-made accidents in human history. Its consequences extended far beyond Ukraine’s borders and affected the environmental, social, and political situations in many countries around the world. For decades, the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone was associated exclusively with tragedy, danger, and human loss. However, since the beginning of the 21st century, it has gradually become a site of heightened tourist interest. Today, Chernobyl is one of Ukraine’s most famous tourist brands, attracting thousands of visitors from around the world. The popularity of the exclusion zone stems from a unique combination of historical memory, man-made heritage, and the phenomenon of so-called ―dark tourism‖—travel to sites of tragedies and disasters. At the same time, the development of Chernobyl tourism raises a number of ethical questions (the line between entertainment and tragedy, respect for and remembrance of the victims, and tourist behavior). Current issues include the appropriateness of transforming the site of the tragedy into a tourist attraction and ensuring proper respect for the victims of the disaster. Turning the Chernobyl zone into a tourist brand has both positive consequences (dissemination of knowledge, increased international interest, economic growth) and negative ones (risks of commercializing memory to the point of distorting historical truth, disrespect for the deceased, etc.). The successful implementation of a tourism program to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone requires comprehensive interdisciplinary research into the specifics of organizing visits, taking into account potential consequences. The purpose of this article, based on an analysis of foreign and domestic literature, is to identify the characteristics of the development of Chernobyl tourism, to justify its socio-cultural role, and to explore the ethical aspects of this socio-historical phenomenon, particularly the positive and negative consequences of transforming the Chernobyl zone into a tourist brand. Keywords: chernobyl tourism, dark tourism, tourism ethics, tourism brand, exclusion zone. Research methods. Theoretical analysis, systematization, and synthesis of the scientific literature in the fields of social psychology, cultural studies, and history pertaining to the research topic; content analysis. Introduction. Following the accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, the area surrounding the plant was declared an exclusion zone and remained closed to the general public for many years. However, as early as the 1990s, the first visitors began to arrive, drawn by their curiosity about the aftermath of the disaster and the unique aspects of life in the abandoned territories. At first, such trips were mostly unofficial, but interest in the exclusion zone gradually began to grow among both Ukrainians and foreigners. According to L. O. Ivchenko and K. M. Romanov, ―The Chernobyl zone is one of the most popular destinations in Ukraine visited by foreign tourists. Starting in the 1990s and for quite a long time afterward, the Chernobyl zone could only be visited illegally. At first, these were small groups of travelers and researchers. The second wave of illegal visitors eager to enter the dangerous zone emerged after the release in 2007–2009 of the video game ―S.T.A.L.K.E.R.‖ by the Ukrainian company GSC Game World. The third wave of illegal trips to the zone began after videos of visits appeared on YouTube. [1] The further development of Chernobyl tourism was linked to the shift from unofficial visits to organized tours. In 1995, the agency ―Chernobylinterinform‖ was established, becoming one of the first